Splinter Cell: Remnants Rising
by Peacekeeper 37
Summary: It's been two years since the Blacklist's failure, and the terror groups of the world have been dealt a crippling morale blow. With only international incidents to look to, many military forces have been able to breath easy. Until now. A series of attacks in Asia bring Sam back to stop a plot to shift world power and defeat an enemy who will stop at nothing to reforge an empire.
1. Prologue

Splinter Cell

Remnants Rising

Prologue

Welcome. Before we begin there are a few things I would like to make note of. This is my first fanfiction and I thought really hard to make this plot. I put it off for at least a year to make some modifications and attend to other things, like school. Heck I'm still having issues on how to keep it flowing. But I WILL manage. Let's start with this. I do not own any characters that were already created by their rightful owners. Otherwise this story would never have been made. It will be told from a third person point of view, with some changing of perspective. As in we focus on one character's view and switch to another's as the story goes. It may be a bit confusing. But as the story goes you'll get it. Oh and if you don't know the history of Splinter Cell, stop what you're doing and go to the Splinter Cell Wiki. I don't want to spend TOO much time on description and backstory. This fanfiction will be a multi-crossover fic. Meaning several other games and animes will make an appearance, but expect a big dose of realism here and there. Finally, there will be three prologue chapters before we really get to it. So without further ado. Let us begin.

In memory of Tom Clancy.

1947-2013

Rest in peace.

Rural home in Tokyo, Japan. March 28th, 1945

"How can this be happening?" He asked himself. "We had a mighty army. A sleek air force. The mightiest navy afloat and many carriers. How can this be happening?"

Captain Sadao Osamu stood at the doorway of his home, looking towards the wide blue, partly cloudy sky. Hoping to find answers, maybe even a hint of a miracle from the gods. All he saw was the blue and white colors of the endless sky. He hung his head. It was unfathomable to imagine what was going on. Imperial Japan was losing the war. Defeat after defeat befell the army. The air force lost more planes than it shot down. The navy was reduced to only a handful of ships. The Americans with their island hopping campaign were almost at Japan's doorstep. If a miracle isn't found, whatever else Japan had would be lost. What would they do then? How would the soldiers cope with their honor stained? What would become of the people, the culture, the military?

The emperor?

What would happen?

Sadao clutched his sheathed katana tightly, biting his tongue at the thought of defeat. He turned hearing footsteps. Standing there was his lovely wife, Kumiko, with the one other thing he would always fight for. In her arms wrapped in a soft cloth, was their newborn, and only, baby boy. Ryuu. The day he was born was the happiest day of their lives. But it was also the day Iwo Jima fell. March 26th. The reality dawned upon Sadao since that day. The Americans would surely move to Okinawa next. And he would fight. Sadao knew that he may never get the chance to see it. His son's first steps. His first birthday. His first… anything. Not even the chance to teach his son about Bushido and honor. He cried on the inside, and it was evident by the look on his face.

A loud honk was heard. In the driveway was the troop truck, ready to take Sadao into battle. Sadao desperately wanted to say no. To throw down his uniform and sword, and stay with his wife and son. But that would be disgraceful not only to himself, but his family name, and he would rather die. But that didn't mean he would like it. Taking a calming breath, Sadao turned to his wife, wrapped his arms around her, and held her tightly.

"Goodbye Kumiko-Chan. Remember that I love you. And always will." He whispered, knowing full well this battle may be his last. His wife held back tears, trying to keep a straight face. He looked down unto the tiny infant that was his son, who looked back with pure innocence. "Goodbye Ryuu-San. Be good for your mother, and be strong on the road ahead of you." He said, placing a gentle hand on his son's cheek.

"Papa."

His first word.

Sadao couldn't fight it anymore, and began to cry. As did his wife. His son's first word was his name, and here he was being taken to the front lines of war. All men have their limits. Trying once again to fight his tears, he smiled at his son. "That's right. I'm your papa," He said as best he could, drying his tears, "and I'm going to keep you safe by fighting. Remember me my son. Be strong. Like the samurai." The tears had dried by then and he turned to the truck. Grabbing his bag of essentials, he walked to the truck and climbed in with his fellow soldiers. Exhaust belched from the exhaust pipe and the truck drove off to the next soldier.

"Papa."

April 1st

Okinawa

It never ended.

Artillery pounded the land, destroyed the vegetation. Sending bodies, blood, and dirt everywhere. American planes swarmed the flak filled sky, dropping bombs and spewing machine gun fire. Marines with flamethrowers moved through the area, scorching hot flames belching from their weapons, leaving only death and destruction in their path. Endless waves of charging marines followed from the sea. And the battleships shelled the land with their mighty cannons. Okinawa was truly "The Gateway to Hell."

Sadao looked upon the American forces closing in on them. The beaches have fallen, letting the landing craft unload marines and tanks. It was time. This was the moment, if they could not be beaten, they would be bloody and battered. That was the plan. Make it harder for the Americans to take the island to the best of their abilities. Deep in his heart, Sadao wanted to believe that the Americans could be beaten, that this was the last battle. No more would fall to their hands. He and his men could go home.

And he could see Ryuu again.

But in his mind, he knew it wasn't. This would be the last battle for him perhaps. But for Japan? No. More Americans would come and take the island. Japan would be defenseless.

But he will fight nonetheless. Because he is Japanese. He would rather die than surrender.

"Men," he began. "This is it. This is the moment we've been waiting for! This is where we take the fight straight to the Americans! They will advance, and they will not stop until the island falls, then move to our homeland. They will bomb our cities! Destroy our homes! And erase our identity as warriors! THAT MUST NOT HAPPEN! This is our moment! This is where we make our stand and strike them down! But if we cannot beat them, then let us give them reason to be afraid, to run, to fear the rising sun! Remember men: We are Warriors! We are Samurai! WE ARE JAPANESE!"

Cheers of approval and readiness flew from the mouths of his men, ready to fight and die for the empire. Sadao turned to face the now closer American assault force, knowing that they heard his speech as well. He grabbed his katana and unsheathed it, ready to fight. He heard the sounds of his men readying their bayonets.

"TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!" He yelled rushing forward, killing several marines.

"TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!" His men repeated, following him and rushing the Americans.

…

"How many did we lose?" The general asked grimly, observing the carnage around him. American and Japanese dead everywhere. "At least 3,500 men sir, an additional 3,910 injured, and a third of the vehicles destroyed." The LT replied. The general looked upon the corpse of the Japanese captain, still clutching his katana. "They just don't let up" He whispered. "Relay the info to command. We'll call for a proper body retrieval in time, but we need to continue the assault." "Yes sir."

Captain Sadao Osamu was one of many brave Japanese warriors to fight on Okinawa to defend against the onslaught of America and her allies. He led one of the most successful banzai attacks of the entire war. With a force of 2,500 men, he charged an assaulting hostile armor column with infantry escort, leaving numerous wrecks littering the field and many Americans dead or wounded.

Sadly. Neither he, nor any of his men, survived. They would not see the fall of Japan, the Cold War, the new millennium.

Nor the movement to avenge their sacrifices and restore Japan.

That's all for now. See ya later.


	2. Prologue: Continued

Prologue 2

May 12th, 2015

Chinese Military Base near Fuzhou

Two lone Chinese soldiers walked along the fence line of a base near the coast. A beautiful beach-going day it was.

"It's almost leave time, what are you going to do Guiren?" The first asked his comrade.

"I dunno, maybe go to the city, find a coffee shop, find a nice girl. What about you Peng?" The second responded.

"I'm going to see my wife, it's been a while since I've seen her." Peng said.

"That's an idea." Said Guiren. Peng chuckled. "Better than yours."

"Hey now! You're stuck with your wife. So if you see any other girl, oh well. Me? I can still choose. I swear they'll swarm me." Guiren said playing along. Peng laughed some more. "Yeah. Assuming you keep your corny pickup lines to yourself."

"Hey now, ladies love historical based romance. Besides, what woman can resist my charms?" Guiren said proudly. "How about the Captain?" Peng challenged. "She's a higher rank than me, she doesn't count." Guiren retorted. "Yeah you keep telling yourself that friend."

"Ah forget you y- hey. Do you hear that?" Guiren asked. "Yeah what is that?"

The soldiers heard what sounded like multiple jets. Only they seemed… deeper. They looked up and high in the sky, and saw several white cargo looking planes over the ocean heading for land. They were as big as a normal cargo plane that could carry tanks. At least they looked like they were from this distance.

"What do you suppose is going on?" Guiren asked. "Don't know. Maybe new cargo plane types. Funny how we didn't know about this." Peng said. "Well why are they here?" "Who knows, maybe it's a rushed schedule. Sometimes the higher ups make split second decisions. I'm reporting this." Peng said grabbing his radio. "Captain Ling come in. This is Corporal Peng. We have eyes on unidentified cargo planes heading for the city." As Peng made the report, Guiren kept watching the planes, seeing more coming closer to the cargo planes. These new planes were fighter size. They too were white and looked somewhat similar to American F-14 Tomcats. "Hey Peng, there are more of them, looks like fighter escort. "Be advised we have fighter escort too Captain." "Air command has notified us. I was about to broadcast the message. There should be F-811 Ms approaching any second now. Be on guard." Ling said on the radio. "Understood, I can see the 811s now." Peng said.

In the formation.

"Command this is Captain Kang of Lotus Flight, we have the unidentified formation in sight. Cargo with fighter escort."

"Acknowledged Lotus lead. Hold fire until we determine their intentions." The airspace controller said. "Unidentified aircraft. You are entering Chinese airspace without permission. State your intentions immediately or we will open fire." A several seconds passed. No answer. "Repeat. State your intentions or we will open fire. This is your last warning!"

"Our intention is recognition and reclamation." Said a voice.

Silence fell over the Chinese for a few moments. "Recognition and reclamation? What is the meaning of this?"

Suddenly an alarm sounded in one of the pilots' cockpits. "I'm being locked! Repeat I'm being locked! Aircraft are hostile!"

"All pilots engage!" The Chinese planes picked a target as the unknowns opened fire. It was a full out dogfight.

"Get him off of me!" A pilot yelled. Followed by another saying, "No joy!" Lotus lead clipped one on a pass, but didn't bring him down. While his comrades were shooting or being chased. "Lotus lead this is Lotus 4. The cargo planes are opening their hatches!" True enough they were, but the weird thing was they were still over the ocean. Lotus lead got a good look. Soldiers jumped out of the planes with some sort of advanced wingsuits and went straight for the base and city. "Get a message to command! Enemy forces are beginning an attack!" He said right before a hostile pilot almost strafed him.

"COME ON LET'S GO!" Ling shouted. Chinese soldiers ran to the armories to grab their weapons and gear. "Who's attacking us?!" A soldier yelled. "We don't know! They haven't been identified!" Peng yelled back. "Where did they come from!? Why are they attacking?!" "Less talking! More preparing!" Ling shouted. Orders and shouting flew everywhere as the soldiers geared up and vehicles were being prepared. "Everyone look!" Guiren shouted. He was pointing to the planes. They were more of them now and hundreds of tiny flew from them straight to the city, with more heading right for the base. "What the hell are those?" Ling said. As the dots got bigger and closer, her answer came. They were soldiers using some kind of high tech wingsuits. They wore a tan uniform with white body armor and helmets. Most of them wore faceplates with blue visors. They wielded futuristic looking rifles and began attacking after they landed. "COVER!" Ling yelled. Opening fire with their QBZ-95 rifles, the Chinese soldiers raced to find cover behind the APCs that were supposed to bring them to the city. The enemy soldiers moved forward with caution and speed. "I just got a sitrep from the city! Things are heating up down there! More planes coming and more soldiers, with tanks!" Ling said. "CAPTAIN! LOOK! THEIR BODY ARMOR! LOOK WHAT'S ON IT!" A soldier yelled with absolute shock and a little fear in his voice. Ling peeked from cover and nearly freaked at what she saw. A perfect red circle on the chest of the enemy! "Is that what I think it is!?" She yelled. "ROCKET LAUNCHER!" A soldier yelled as an enemy carried a rocket launcher shaped weapon onto the field. He fired and hit on of the APCs. For Ling, Peng, and Guiren, it went black with the sounds of battle muffled.

Disputed Yellow Sea area

From a bunker overlooking the Yellow Sea, was a North Korean colonel by the name of Byung-hun, observing the ships of his nation's navy. On the other side of the so called 'territorial boundary' were the ships of the South. Both sides just sitting there. Like they were waiting for someone to snap and shoot. One thing for sure, this region belonged to the North. Just like everything else being 'disputed.'

"Colonel." A soldier said calling for his attention. Byung turned to see a corporal handing him files. "The reports from the front that you requested sir." He said.

"Thank you." Byung said.

Turning his attention from the ships, Byung looked at the reports. More live fire exchanges and skirmishes. Same artillery 'exercises' and more American threats of retaliation if it goes too far, whatever America declared too far. Repeat. Same old stuff since 2010.

"Thank you soldier. Return to your post. Inform me if anything changes." Byung said. "Yes sir." The soldier ran back to his post. Urging the rest of the staff to carry on working. "I will return. I am going to get a refreshment." Byung said. Followed by a chorus of 'yes sir's. As soon as he left the room, he began to ponder about the events going on.

"Some things never change." He murmured to himself. Now Byung was as patriotic as the next colonel and would fight to the death to defend the DPRK. But he also had open eyes. He knew that despite this endless cycle of live fire and exercises, it was only a matter of time until the war continued. Both North and South waiting for a bullet to truly fly and continue the war. You see, the war never truly ENDED, no one really won, the fighting just ended. It's just the longest ceasefire in human history. But it seemed it was okay to argue over land, otherwise it would've just been stare downs at the DMZ. He loved his country with all his heart, but he secretly wished for peace. No more stare downs between the DMZ guards, heck to no longer have a DMZ. But he knew that as of right now, it was wishful thinking, and it wouldn't be possible in his lifetime.

Returning to the room with a cup of water, Byung looked back out to the ships. Still staring at one another. "Sir, the new missiles have arrived, they're being moved to the storage area as we speak." A soldier said. "Excellent, make sure that-"

He stopped speaking the moment he heard an explosion. Quickly turning back to the ships, Byung saw one of the Northern destroyers on fire. "WHAT THE-?!" "Sir! One of our destroyers was torpedoed! They're taking on water!" An officer said Grabbing binoculars, Byung looked at the burning ship. The officer was right, there was a big hole in the side. "Prepare for battle!" He yelled. It was the South! It had to be! Or at least the Americans. Who else would be so bold? "Tell the destroyers to-" Another explosion sounded, only this time it was on the South's side. "That's it! HIT BACK!" Byung yelled.

"But sir, our destroyers didn't fire. Neither did the South!" The officer said.

Words he never thought he'd hear. "But if they didn't, who did?!" Looking back onto the ships, Byung saw a jaw dropping sight. Soldiers literally leaped out of the water and landed onto the ships. Firefights erupted as security detail clashed with the boarders. "Unbelievable." Byung said, he looked over to the Southern ships. The same thing happened. "GET WORD TO PYONGYANG!" He yelled. "SIR! THEY'VE HIJACKED ONE OF OUR SHIPS!" Immediately after he said that, a hole was blown into the bunker. "WHO THE HELL IS ATTACKING!? GET EVERY SOLDIER READY!" Byung shouted over the chaos.

The unthinkable happened. Both Korean nations were about to fight. But not each other.

Cam Ranh Naval Base. Vietnam

It was simply another day at the Cam Ranh Naval port. Sailors were placing munitions on ships to be taken to other parts of the country, while soldiers placed supplies in trucks. However, there were some soldiers on duty who were cranky. Some vacationers from the nearby beach came over earlier, drunk. Apparently there was a party going on. Need more be said? Thankfully no one was hurt nor arrested. But to ensure it didn't happen again, some soldiers were posted at the beach area outside the base. There was some eye candy so it wasn't too bad. Two soldiers maintained watch at their posts.

"Hey, Dao." Said the first. "What is it Phong?" Replied the second. "You know how lucky we are?" Phong asked. "Phong, what are you talking about?" Dao asked, honestly confused. "Here's what I mean. See the eye candy down there? Cute aren't they?" Turned out he was talking about the beachgoers, the female category. Some gave some 'friendly' gestures.

"Ugh, can't you spend one day without staring at beach girls?" Dao asked irritated. "Why else would I stand here?" Phong asked. "Because the captain told you to?" Dao said. "Heh whatever you say." Dao simply shook his head at his comrade's attitude. "It's a wonder you're in the army." He muttered under his breath.

Next thing they knew, tube shaped objects launched out of the water onto the beach. Frightening the beachgoers and alerting the soldiers. "What the hell are those?" Dao asked. These tubes were colored aquatic green and blue with a big red circle on the sides. Then the fronts opened and out poured unidentified soldiers, discharging their weapons and running towards the base. "Oh shit!" Phong yelled. He and Dao ran into the base as the alarm began blaring. "What's going on?!" The base commander yelled, rallying the guards. An explosion occurred on one of the guard towers, bringing more panic. A few minutes later, a whole was blown into the base's wall, and in poured the unknown soldiers. "Who are these guys?!" A soldier yelled from behind cover, firing his AKM. "No idea, they just came out of the water, LITERALLY!" Dao yelled. "Just keep firing!" Phong yelled. Firing at the enemy, he was hit in his right arm. "AH!" He fell over clutching his wound. "PHONG!" Yelled Dao, attempting to tend to his comrade. "LOOK OUT!" A Vietnamese soldier yelled. An enemy holding a rocket launcher fired at a fuel tank. The Vietnamese soldiers ducked for cover.

BOOM.

The deafening explosion did just what was expected. Ringing sounded in the ears of the soldiers as fire and debris filled the area. As the ringing subsided, the soldiers got back in the fight. "HELP MEDIC!" Dao yelled out. The invaders showed no sign of stopping.

Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

Five American soldiers patrolled the perimeter of the airbase, ensuring no unauthorized personnel entered.

"So James, after patrol, what are your plans?" Asked one.

"Dunno. Maybe I'll just sleep in. What about you Robert?" James asked.

"Eh maybe I'll send a letter to my parents, let them know how I'm doing." Said Robert.

"You write to your parents every single day, take a chill pill man." Said the first.

You're one to talk Alex, you write to your girlfriend every single HOUR to tell her you're okay." Said the fourth.

"Ah screw you Tom."

"Knock it off you two." The sergeant said.

"But man I'm starvin. Haven't eaten nuthin since we left the base. Hey you know my dad runs a deli back in the Bronx, makes the best pastrami sandwiches you'll ever eat." Alex said.

"Alex. You ain't quite right." Tom said.

"Heh. Kinda like your sister eh ya fricken hayseed?"

"Can it you two! Stay on the ball! Just a few more miles and we're done for a few hours." Said the sergeant. "Yes sir." They all said.

"Hey sarge. I thought you said this was our last patrol." Said James. "Yeah seeing the jungle is fun and all, but I gotta get back, I got tickets to the Yankee game, they're playing the Red Sox I got box seats!" Alex said. "Ah shut the hell up Alex!" Tom said. "I said CAN IT! Boring or not we got a perimeter to secure private!" Said the sergeant.

That was when they heard a rumbling sound. Ten passenger looking planes flew very low to the ground and passed over them. Heading for the airfield. "The hell?" Robert said. "Damn hotshot pilots!" The sergeant said. "The hell's going on?" Asked Tom. "Probably adrenaline junkies racing to the landing strip." Alex said. "I dunno guys. Maybe we should report this. They sure didn't look like our planes. And they sure as hell didn't look like they were gonna land. Said James. "It's fine. They're always making new toys without telling us." Said Alex.

A few minutes later into the patrol, the radio started speaking. "Paterson! Sergeant Paterson! Where are you?!" The commander spoke in alarm, with the sounds of telltale fighting in the background. "Sir? We're ten mikes from the base. What's going on?" Paterson asked. "Get your squad back here now! Ten planes just dropped off unidentified hostiles! We need backup now! They're-" An explosion cut off the conversation.

"Commander. Commander Henson do you read?!"

"GET BACK HERE! NOW!"

"YOU HEARD HIM BACK TO BASE MARINES!" Paterson yelled. They ran faster than before back to base. Upon returning, they were greeted by gunshots, screams, and explosions. There were unknowns everywhere. How did they deploy from those planes so fast? They had faceplates and white body armor with a red circle on the chest. "Alex! Robert! Provide covering fire! Tom! James! Move with me! GO GO GO" Performing covering fire for one another all the way to the command center, the marines were shot at, nearly detonated, even charged at. The center had destruction written all over it. Nearby, a tower fell over and crashed down onto a hanger. The marines found themselves with Henson, who was shooting a service pistol from behind fallen filing cabinets. "Henson! Sir!" Paterson said. "Thank god! We need everyone for this!" Henson said. "Who's attacking!?" Paterson yelled. "We don't know for sure! But from the circle on the armor and the language they're speaking, I'd say it's the Japanese!" Henson said. "THE JAPANESE!? They're our allies! Hell the Post-War Constitution is still in effect!" Indeed it was, and allies the two countries were. Why would they risk another incident like this? One thing's for sure, they're in big trouble. "The Japanese?! I thought they were our friends!" Alex yelled. "So did I!" Tom said. A rocket flew over their heads and destroyed a chunk of the wall on the other side. "SHIT! WHERE'S THAT AIR SUPPORT?!" Henson demanded. "15 minutes out and closing sir!" "We won't last fifteen SECONDS!" Henson yelled. "ALEX! TOM! See if you can't find any more ammo! JAMES! Find a radio! Robert! With me!" Paterson yelled.

Alex and Tom were lucky, they found a wrecked APC with ammo and a SAW. James got hit in the leg returning to the center. "HIT THEM!" Tom yelled firing the SAW. "Keep pressure on the wound!" Alex yelled, Robert was wrapping the wound while Henson and Paterson fired back. "Kadena air base this is Onyx 1. We are inbound. Watch for the Apaches." Henson's radio said. "About time! HURRY!" Henson replied. Sure enough, five Apache attack copters strafed the runway with their rockets. Prompting the 'Japanese' to retreat into the jungles. "Thanks a bunch Onyx, looks like you scared them off." Henson said. "No worries Kadena. We're gonna see if we can't track them. Stay safe."

Henson and Paterson looked at the carnage after it was over. The base was in very bad shape. Building destroyed or burning, soldiers dead or injured everywhere. Not a pretty image. "What does this mean sir?" James asked, having recovered from his wound. "I know one thing. It's gonna be one hell of a shitstorm in DC." Said Henson.

These attacks occurred at the same time on the same day. And each done by the same party, everyone looking at the Japanese being said party. The Asian region prepared for possible war with Japan. The shocking fact was that demands were aired not that long ago and threats of attack were made if not followed through. But the world, still drunk on freedom from terror, ignored them at the time. Were the two linked?

The answer soon came. And it was the worst kind.

UN conference, Tokyo.

It was a nightmare. Every Asian nation was already yelling obscenities at the Japanese representative. Hell even North Korea was invited, the incidents were so large. Any attempt to calm them didn't work. It seemed war was unavoidable. The Japanese representative kept his cool. And it was icy cool. "The Japanese people have nothing to gain from these attacks, nor are we responsible for them. We willingly live under the Post-War Constitution and did not create a secret army under the American's noses." He said.

"LIES LIES LIES!" The Chinese representative yelled, "Reports CLEARLY say that the aggressors spoke Japanese and had the rising sun on their armor!"

"They also identified themselves as Japanese when the attacks were called off!" Both North and South Korea said. Then the two had a brief staring contest.

"Cam Ranh Port is stained red with the blood of our soldiers! WHO ARE WE TO LASH OUT AGAINST!?" The Vietnamese rep yelled.

"Answer us Japan!" Said the Chinese rep. "Please calm down Mr. Hong, we don't have to be violent here." The American rep said. "DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! WE ALWAYS SAID JAPAN MAY TRY SOMETHING! We were right to still hate them! First the I-SDF and now THIS?!"

"Mr. Yoshio, you're positive that the Japanese government is innocent?" The American rep said. "I am." Yoshio said. "LIES!" Yelled the Viet rep.

"Does anyone care what the British representative thinks?" Asked none other than the British rep. "NO!" yelled every Asian rep, except Yoshio. "What about the demands made a week ago? They are what we should be-" He ducked before a glass of water hit him in the face. "Why I NEVER!"

"Mr. Cunningham is right, the demands are a credible issue." The Russian rep said. "Obviously it's a smokescreen!" Said Hong.

It was then that the big TV started automatically. A brief picture of Japan's battle flag took place after the static. On it was a word written in Japanese. "Torimodoshimasu? That's reclaim in Japanese. What-?" Yoshio said before a new image took place. It was a rather old man wearing an unmistakable suit bearing the look of the samurai. It was black with red linings and large red horns on the helmet. On his chest was the Rising Sun. Flanking his left and right were similarly dressed men. But their armor was white, had smaller horns, wore faceplates with blue visors, and black uniforms under the armor. Behind them was the same flag.

"You have been warned." He said with a voice demanding respect and attention. "And you did not listen. Now, with your bases ablaze, you know our power. I will say it again. The Post-War Constitution WILL be suspended. Japan's military WILL be allowed to re-arm. The emperor's power restored, and ALL foreign military presence to be removed from the Japanese mainland. Then, with the exception of sovereign nations. You WILL return EVERY last piece of land that was once the Great Japanese Empire. Every island. Every base. EVERYTHING. Since you have NOW decided to listen, you will be given ten more days instead of six. If you don't make at least a move to obey at the end of the given time. We strike again attack the random base of a random nation. ANY random nation. Don't waste time. Make the amends while you still can! Dainipponteikoku o torimodoshimasu!" He yelled. The sound of thundering 'Banzais' filled the air as the camera turned to thousands of the soldiers who attacked raising their arms in the air just like the soldiers of World War 2.

The transmission ended.

… Fear… Shock… Dread. These were the perfect words to describe the reaction of not only the representatives, but the whole world. It wasn't just the UN who saw the broadcast.

A new chapter in terror has opened. And the stakes are higher than ever before.

So. How'd that grab you? Tell me your thoughts, I'd like some feedback and suggestions. That's it for now. Later.


	3. Prologue Final

Prologue final

In 1945, the Second World War came to an end. Japan was on the losing end, and her military was shamed and disarmed. As per the Post-War Constitution, Japan's military was to no longer have the potential to reach beyond Japan's borders. With America taking responsibility for defense. Yet despite the disastrous atomic bombings, changing of the nation's military, the Cold War, and more to come. Japan soon become one of the most prosperous nations on the planet under the eyes of America, and maintaining good relationships with the super power and her allies. Of course there were those who protested, those who went against the change. But inevitably, the cries died down.

However- not all were protestors.

And not all were peaceful

In 1948, after protests gave no results, and the government accepted the new terms. An anger rose in former soldiers, advisors, commanders, and a horde of civilians. These people, loyal to the old Japan, saw the conditions of the Constitution as not only unfair, but a threat to the Japanese way of life, for with no mighty military, the spirit and pride of Japan would be erased. It would be a means to erase Bushido from their ways. And make Japan weak to invasion. They sought to begin a guerrilla war against the occupying forces, but the Cold War quickly ended those plans before they began. Seeing no other alternatives to make a change, they made a bold and dangerous move.

Under the cover of a storm that blinded radar, they stole former merchant ships with all the belongings and materials they could grab and set out to former island fortresses the Americans avoided in the island-hopping campaign. Being separated by so much ocean and time, with only primitive radios to keep in touch, you'd think some would abandon the idea or even go home. But they stood united even with such conditions. For their honor demanded it, they believed they could do it, and they believed one day, they would return to the homeland to restore its former glory. As time passed, they grew in numbers, technology, intelligence, and even reach. All the way into the 21st century for one thing.

The perfect time to strike.

Now it is 2015.

And with the retaliatory strikes made after being ignored by the world, drunk on peace, a serious success. They are finally ready for war.

The Remnants of the Rising Sun are finally ready to liberate Japan from the hold of America and her unfair rules, reclaim what rightfully belongs to them, restore what was left the empire, and the emperor to be restored as ruler. They have trained a mighty army to achieve this goal and bring back the image of Japan as a world power and permanently push out not just American, but any foreign military force out of Japan.

They keep their heads held high as they begin their war.

"Warriors." The old man calmly said atop a speech platform, addressing to the masses of Remnants who waited to hear him speak. It was the very same old man from the broadcast. "My fellow soldiers. For many decades, we have been a people driven from our nation. Our beautiful Japan. Hated! Oppressed! And stripped of the very things that made us the nation we were supposed to be by those we sought to make peace with, and those we sought to destroy!" The old man's voice became sterner, angrier, demanding the complete attention of the soldiers assembled before him and his fellow leaders. "Seventy years ago. We asked your parents, your parents' parents, for their support, their time, and their faith. And they have given what was needed. They. The sustainers of our cause. The guardians of our dream. Made this possible." The soldiers cheered at his words, knowing exactly what he was talking about. The dream of a restored Japan.

With a wave of his hand, the man silenced the spirited warriors. "Your forefathers embarked on a mission to escape our enemies. A mission, for reclamation. These islands we inhabit, sustained us and fed the desire for that goal." It wasn't only these soldiers listening to him. For not only soldiers living on the islands the man mentioned were alone. There were workers, farmers, mothers and children. Including those on other islands the Remnants controlled. "As time went, we experienced hardships. Hardships of sickness, distance, and insufficiency. But soon, we became stronger. While the Americans, Russians, Chinese, all of them! While they battled amongst themselves in their Cold War, we resurrected our footholds on these islands, creating a new army for Japan! Of course to advance we needed ideas, so risks were taken, some left our homes to recover valuable technology from the battles fought and create secret supply chains for necessities. Some did not make it. But we all know that their sacrifices were NOT in vain! For because of that, and the time we have been given, our army has grown strong enough to counter those of our enemies. Then came the next step, we have given our demands before we attacked, before we truly rose, BEFORE we unsheathed our swords! How did the outside world react?! Not with fear or a reactive state of mind! But with ignorance! We were ignored, cast aside, as everyone we gave our demands to simply clucked their tongues and lived on as if nothing ever happened!"

The soldiers began shouting obscenities about the American leaders, the Chinese leaders, every leader who had ignored them. "But now. Now they know our power. Now they know we are not to be ignored! With the time given by your caretakers, those who nurtured you, we have rebuilt our pride, we have rebuilt our strength, and we have rebuilt our HONOR! The strikes have reeducated our enemy, and they now have the insight to our strength. On this day, the Remnants stand united for war. On this day, those driven to weaken us will hear our battle cry! On this day, we shall act as samurai and our home shall be held back no more!" The soldiers began cheering much louder, joined by every other inhabitant under the Remnant flag.

"Remnants of the Rising Sun. NOW IS OUR TIME!" He finished, drawing his sword and holding it above his head.

"Reclaim honor! Reclaim power! Reclaim the Great Japanese Empire! BANZAI!" You could swear that EVERY SINGLE Remnant was shouting these words in unison. This was their motto, their belief, their cause.

The old man backed away from the podium after bowing to the ecstatic masses of warriors. Sheathing his sword and turning to his fellow leaders. "That was a marvelous speech general. I couldn't have said it better myself." A much younger man said. "Thank you Kenji, it is not every day that you address not only your fellow soldiers, but your entire people, that their dreams are finally beginning to come true." The old man said. "There should be no worry there, the warriors of our cause idolize you general. After all, no one else has been in so many battles and come out victorious." Said another elderly man, but slightly older, wearing a military uniform as opposed to the general's armor. "I had friends backing me up along with my sword. Indeed we must seek to claim honor in battle, but it is a new age, and armies have evolved. It will require more than the katana and skill to defeat them now. But we do have what is needed." He said with a calm smile.

A Remnant soldier approached the group with a file in his hand. He bowed. "General. I have the reports from the outposts." He said. "Thank you soldier." The file read: 'Outposts transmitting at optimal capacity, intercepting any hostile transmissions when necessary. Secret barracks and depots ready for additional soldiers and vehicles. Hidden warehouses awaiting orders. The next forces approach the attack coordinates as you are reading this.

-Col Goro Arata'

"I think it's time to mobilize some warriors to a few mainland barracks. What say you?" He asked, turning to the other military leaders. "I vouch for this decision." Kenji said, everyone else nodded in agreement. "Rally any able and willing soldiers and prepare them for mobilization. They're being kept in reserve on the mainland. As for everyone else. Stay the remaining warriors. We will engage in guerrilla warfare until otherwise is necessary. We must keep our full combat capability secret for now. Meaning our mechanized forces and our navy. Only minimal numbers for now." The old man said.

"Yes sir General Ryuu."

As the leaders departed, Ryuu reached into his left pocket on his uniform and pulled out a very old photo. WW2 era. It was a picture of a Japanese army captain, his beautiful wife, and wrapped in cloth in her arms, their baby. The writing on the picture said, 'Captain Osamu with his wife, Kumiko, and their son, Ryuu.' "It's finally beginning father. I wish you were here to see this." He said quietly to the photo, hoping to reach the ears of his fallen father.

He put the photo back and continued to his next task. It was time to begin the war.

Sorry about not updating. I was on vacation and had no internet access. That and I was taking it easy. Well now you know what happened to Ryuu Osamu. Now general in the army of the Remnants.


	4. Timeline

AN: I am SO sorry for not writing. No amount of apology will make up for it I know, but college, work, and family have eaten up my schedule for the past month. And this little idea popped into my head, I know it's not much, but I hope it helps explain the world that this takes place in. It will be in two parts, given how freaking LONG the next part is.

Timeline:

1945

August 6: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Aug 8: USSR declares war on Japan, as well as establishes a communist government in North Korea.

August 9: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki

August 14: Japan surrenders, signaling the end of World War 2.

August 15: Victory celebration. End of the war announced in Japan. Thousands of civilians share sorrow, shame, and anger.

August 17: 38th Parallel established in Korea.

August 28: Occupation begins. Resentment towards the Americans and her allies stirs. Peaceful protests begin.

September 2: Japan formally surrenders by signing the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

September 6: Post-Surrender Policy for Japan is passed. Resentment grows into louder protests.

1946

Jan 1: Hirohito renounces his godly status, much to the dismay of the protestors. Meanwhile, the Chinese Civil War between Nationalists and Communists continues.

Jan 22: CIA is formed.

March 31: A small group of loyal Japanese form a resistance themed organization. Events include protests, graffiti, and marching through the streets with the Rising Sun.

July 4: Philippines gain independence from America.

December 19: French forces return to Indochina, sparking the First Indochina War.

1947: The Cold War begins

May 3: Postwar Constitution enacted. Riots occur in major cities across Japan.

May 4: Riots end. More than 300 dead and 500 injured.

1948

June 21: Storm washes all over Japan, rendering radar useless. After the storm dies down, approximately 40 ships are reported missing from docks all over the country.

1949

October 1: The People's Republic of China is founded by Mao Zedong.

1950

June 25: Korean Civil War begins as the North invades the South.

1952

April 28: Treaty of San Francisco goes into effect. Japan also signs the Treaty of Taipei.

1953

July 27: Korean Civil War ends. (In reality, it has been placed in a ceasefire.) Korean Armistice Agreement is signed. Korean Demilitarized zone is created.

1954

May 7: French defeated in Indochina. Cambodia, Laos, and the two Vietnams are left.

July 21: 17th Parallel drawn between North and South Vietnam.

1955

November 1: Vietnam War begins. First half involving expelling French forces. (I dub this the Vietnamese Final Revolution.)

1957

April 17: Sam Fisher is born in Towson, Maryland.

1959

January 1: Cuban Revolution. Castro becomes leader.

Vietnamese Final Revolution becomes the Vietnamese Civil War.

December: Viet Cong is formed

1961

April 17-19: Bay of Pigs Invasion, a CIA backed counterrevolutionary invasion of Cuba ends in failure.

August 13: Berlin Wall is built.

1962

Sept 8: Himalayan War between China and India.

October 6: Cuban Missile Crisis.

November 21: Himalayan War end with Chinese gaining land.

1963

June 20: Hotline between Washington D.C. and Moscow created.

1964

August 4: Gulf of Tonkin Incident. America enters the Vietnamese Civil War

1965

April 28: America invades the Dominican Republic to prevent a Communist takeover.

August 15: Operation Gibraltar launched by Pakistan culminates in the Second Indo-Pakistan War.

September 23: The Second Indo-Pakistan War ends in a ceasefire, with Pakistan's goal to capture Kashmir a failure.

November 14: Battle of la Drang between US and NVA forces

1966

August 26: South African Border War begins.

1967

June 5: Six-Day War begins.

1968

January 30: Tet Offensive begins.

June 8: Tet Offensive ends in an overwhelming military victory for America. Yet raises questions of future chances.

1969

July 20: Apollo 11 lands on the Moon.

July 25: America begins withdrawal from Vietnam

1971

December 3: India enters the Bangladesh Liberation War.

1973

January 27: Paris Peace Accords end American involvement in Vietnam.

October 6: Yom Kippur War begins. Israel is attacked by Egypt and Syria. Ends in Israeli victory.

1975

April 30: Vietnamese Civil War ends in Northern victory. Vietnam becomes Communist.

November 28: East Timor declares independence from Portugal.

December 8: Indonesia invades East Timor.

1976

July 17: East Timor becomes part of Indonesia.

1977

July 23: Ogaden War begins between Somalia and Ethiopia.

1978

March 15: Ogaden War ends in a ceasefire. Somalia withdraws.

December 15: Afghanistan receives a Communist government.

1979

January 16: The Iranian Revolution outs the Shah. A theocracy is installed.

November 4: Iranian Hostage Crisis.

December 24: Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.

1981

January 20: Iran Hostage Crisis ends.

August 19: Gulf of Sidra Incident.

1983

October 25: US invades Grenada to overthrow Communist government.

Year that Sam and Lambert first meet.

1984

Sam begins his work in the CIA.

Sam meets his future wife Regan Burns in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. After impregnating her, the two are quietly married in a US base in Frankfurt, Germany.

1985

May 31: Sam's only child, Sarah, is born.

1986

People Power Revolution in the Phillipines overthrows Ferdinand Marcos.

April 26: Chernobyl Disaster.

1987

September 10: Battle of Cuito Canavale, Angola intensifies the South African Border War.

1988

May 15: Soviets withdraw from Afghanistan.

December 22: South Africa withdraws from South West Africa (Namibia).

. Sam and Regan divorce due to not feelings, for they loved one another, but professions. She took custody of Sarah and renamed her 'Sarah Burns.'

1989

January 4: Another Gulf of Sidra Incident.

February 2: Soviets fully leave Afghanistan.

June 4: Tiananmen Square Massacre.

December 3: Meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and George H. W. Bush begins what may be an era of peace.

December 20: Operation Just Cause is launched as America invades Panama to arrest Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking.

During this time, Sam is part of a CIA team that conducted a raid on MCAS Banco de Panama to find Noriega's drug money. He spends most of the rest of the year sleeping in a ditch between Kuwait and Baghdad.

Anna Grimsdottir was in the tenth grade.

1990

August 2: Iraq invades Kuwait, beginning the Persian Gulf War.

October 3: Germany is reunified.

Fisher participates in the Gulf War as a Navy SEAL.

1991

Sam is rescued by fellow SEAL and friend Victor Coste after an ambush by Republican Guards leaves 2 men dead and Vic unconscious.

March 4: Sam has his first contact with Douglas Shetland in Iraq.

March 12: During Operation SCARAB TOOTH, Sam and Douglas meet for the second time.

February 28: Gulf War ends.

December 25: The Cold War ends.

December 26: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics dissolves.

1992

May 2: Douglas and Sam meet yet again, Sam was a SEAL liaison on loan to the Columbian Army during Operation Salsa Verde. Douglas is later captured by FARC rebels. Sam sets off on his own to rescue his comrade.

1993

September 21: Darah Dan Doa (Blood and Prayer) is officially formed. Possible CIA funding.

October 3: Battle of Mogadishu.

December 24: Suhadi Sadono becomes the leader of the DDD.

1994

Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group is formed. AKA Ghost Recon.

1996

Sam is discharged from the Navy

1999

Elite counter terror force Rainbow is formed.

US and CIA support for the Darah Dan Doa is ceased.

February 15: Sam joins the newly created Third Echelon. He is sent to Belgrade in Yugoslavia to stop a ship from delivering missiles. After this he infiltrates the hideout of the perpetrators and finds evidence of Russian involvement.

August 30: East Timor votes for independence in a UN-sponsored referendum.


	5. Timeline Part 2

Some of the older Splinter Cell stuff will be lengthy.

2000

The High Altitude Warfare Xperimental Squadron (H.A.W.X.) is formed

Rainbow engages in the Phoenix Group/Ebola virus crisis

Regan Burns succumbs to ovarian cancer. Sarah is 15 years old

David Bowers becomes President of the United States.

2001

After a misunderstood impeachment, David Bowers is returned to the office of President.

Rainbow Operation Rogue Spear

October 16: Douglas Shetland is falsely accused of the Bagram Incident.

2002

February 3- April 15: Douglas is found not guilty. Promoted to 5-star desk job just shy of civilian work.

May 20: East Timor becomes a democracy.

July 3: Douglas leaves the Marine Corps.

November 17: Douglas is awarded over $700,000 in damages from the Bagram lawsuit.

2003

(Splinter Cell Novel Checkmate): Fisher stops a ship known as the Trego, filled with radioactive material from hitting the US coast. However, soon after, Slipstone, a town in New Mexico is found radioactively poisoned. Sam goes through clues and leads to find a man named Zhao to be responsible. Zhao is killed.

January 3: Douglas uses his money to found the PMC Displace International.

(This is where it gets LONG)

2004

Rainbow CopyCat incident.

(Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell game)

August 7: After the assassination of Georgia's president by Abkhazian separatists. Industrialist Kombayn NIkoladze comes into power and installs a "pro-western" regime. Leading to an economic revival and the possibility of Georgia's role in the world military players.

Meanwhile, CIA agents Alic Madison goes missing while operating in Nikoladze's cabinet, Robert Blaustein investigates and too goes missing. Sam investigates and finds out they were murdered by Vyacheslav Grinko, former Spetsnaz-turned-mercenary.

Sam investigates further as to why, and after recording a meeting between Grinko and Canadian computational theorist Phillip Masse, Sam finds evidence of Nikoladze's wrongdoings. A secret invasion of oil rich Azerbaijan. NATO declares war on Georgia. Nikoladze strikes back with electronic warfare, Masses' expertise disables power plants, transportation, communications, and more. Sam then discovers a link between Georgia and China, thankfully though, he later discovers the General, Kong Feirong is acting as a rogue. He is dealt with and after more events. Grinko is killed and Nikoladze is assassinated.

2005

Sam kills Phillip Masse.

(Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Novel)

Sam investigates the recent murders of fellow Splinter Cells. He discovers a link between an arms smuggling ring known as The Shop, who is behind the murders, and terror force The Shadows. Who plan to build a weapon to destabilize the Middle East. Sam completes his mission, ruins The Shop's profits, eliminates the Shadows, and fighter crews give their lives to prevent the weapon from succeeding.

2006

Japan creates the Information Self Defense Force (ISDF) in the face of information warfare. Surrounding countries make a big stink.

H.A.W.X. Squadron is disbanded. Captain David Crenshaw and wingmen Casper and Talon join PMC Artemis Global Security.

Operation Barracuda: Third Echelon continues hunting The Shop. Meanwhile, East German scientist Gregory Jeinsen goes missing, and is found dead in Hong Kong. He was developing the MRUUV, a new sub vehicle for the navy that could carry anything, theoretically, even a nuclear weapon. Suspects are the local Triad the Lucky Dragons. It turns out, the Triad, Jeinsen, The Shop, and a traitor are all part of a plan of PLA general Lan Tun, with a plan to conquer Taiwan.

At the same time, Sam's feelings for his Krav Maga instructor, Katia Loenstern, grow. But later in the op, a Russian hitman intending to kill Sam, kills Katia instead.

The MRUUV was to be used to deliver a nuclear weapon of the coast of Los Angeles to trigger a tsunami; a blackmail for America to not interfere. Sam foils this plot with a little help from the Lucky Dragons. The conspirators, the traitor, and eventually the general are all killed. He successfully killed the leaders of The Shop, (One is paralyzed) And China disowns the invasion.

Indonesian Crisis/Lax Incident (Pandora Tomorrow): After installing a temporary military base in East Timor, America makes its argument to train the defender of the world's youngest democracy. Resistance is widespread and passionate, but Indonesian militia threats warranted necessary action. (Not to mention it was within easy reach of North Korea and the largest Muslim population in Asia) Suhadi Sadono begins his war by attacking and occupying the embassy in Dili, hostages are taken, including Douglas Shetland. Sam was sent to destroy top secret info. Later, Delta Force retakes the embassy.

After a discovery, Sam goes to a cryogenics lab in France to find 'Mortified Penguin' and figure out Sadono's plans. Sam also encounters Norman Soth, an (ex?) CIA agent with ties to Sadono. After returning from his next mission in Jerusalem, it all unfolds. Sadono is using the ND133 cases to hold the smallpox virus to be smuggled in the US. If Sadono is captured or killed, the bombs detonate. The Springfield Demonstration showed this the hard way.

Sam learns of the location of the boxes after infiltrating a submarine.

While Sam hunts Sadono, the newly established Shadownet hunts the 'Pox Boxes' which are being guarded by ARGUS mercs.

With the boxes gone, Sam is ordered to take Sadono alive, (Nikoladze being a 'stubborn ghost') He succeeds. However, Norman Soth has the last Pox Box and intends to use it at Los Angeles International Airport as revenge for being abandoned. Sam kills Soth and his mercs and the bomb is dealt with by the bomb squad.

2007

East Asian Crisis (Chaos Theory): Japan's economy is suffering from viral attacks, and if that weren't enough China and North Korea express their protests to the ISDF by blockading the Yellow Sea. The US intervenes by sending the USS Clarence E. Walsh, (CG-80) the most advanced electronic warship, to deter the Chinese and North Korean navies.

Meanwhile, Sam is sent to Peru to rescue American computer programmer Bruce Morgenholt, who was captured by the "The People's Voice" A Peruvian separatist group led by Hugo Lacerda. Bruce was working on deciphering Masses algorithms. This outcome led to the algorithms being labeled as the superweapon of the 21st Century. Sam is too late to save Morgenholt. He catches up to Lacerda on board the Maria Narcissa, and kills him. Turns out, Lacerda was hired to kidnap Morgenholt by unknown parties.

Sam follows a lead in Panama from the Bill of Lading found on the ship to MCAS Banco de Panama. He investigates and finds a name, Zherkezhi, one of the best computational theorists in the world, having worked with Morgenholt on Project Watson. Sam finds info on a Dvorak, as well as deleted messages with 512 encryption. Only Masse used 512.

Upon returning home. New York and Japan are hit with a blackout. Suspected electronic attack. Sam is sent to Zherkezhi's penthouse in New York to locate Dvorak. Sam finds the penthouse guarded by Displace mercenaries. Shetland's company. Sam makes his way and finds a man. But not Dvorak. Dvorak is not a man. It's a computer, Dvorak is a mechanical representation of a self-referential axonal number theory. It encodes its own logical structure within its own executable cycle and it derives a more accurate representation of itself with each successful execution. An infinite state machine. Sam grabs a copy of its algorithm.

Third Echelon and Admiral Otomo of the I-SDF start to work together to figure out the issues involving the incidents.

Sam then goes to Displace headquarters to learn where Zherkezhi is and who's protecting him. Milan Nedic, a Bosnian war criminal secretly relocated Zherkezhi to a retreat in Hokkaido. San travels to Japan. While at a hotel before moving, the Walsh is sunk by a North Korean antiship missile on the 4th of July. NK claims it didn't do it.

Sam goes to the retreat to find Zherkezhi and kill Milan. He kills Milan, but fails to get Zherkezhi, because Shetland killed him. After, he heads to the NKA battery that fired the missile. Indeed the North Koreans did not do it, but they still invade the South. Fisher heads to Seoul and learns a horrifying fact. Displace orchestrated the war. Using the Masse Kernels obtained by Zherkezhi, to draw the US into a war. Shetland believed that America was dead, and that the system had to be rebuilt. Regrettably, but understandingly, Sam kills Shetland after confronting him at a bathhouse in Japan. But not before learning who Displace's partner was.

The I-SDF.

Despite a firefight erupting and Shetland's death, Otomo continues the plot. He attempts to use the Kernels to return Japan to Imperial rule by blackmailing the government and military by threatening to launch a NK missile on Japan. Sam infiltrates the headquarters in Kokubo Sosho and captures Otomo as he commits seppuku. Otomo stands trial and takes full responsibility for the crisis. Stability is returned.

Rainbow: VX nerve gas crisis. And later nuclear scientists

Captain Scott Mitchell joins the Ghosts. Later leads in the Second Korean Civil War. (Happens during Chaos Theory.)

2008

Splinter Cell Fallout. Sam's adopted brother, Peter, real name Pyotr Limonovich, falls victim to PuH-19, a chemical so deadly that only two countries still make it. America and Russia. Meanwhile, in Kyrgyzstan, Bolot Omurbai, former president thought executed, resurfaces to lead the Kyrgyzstan Republic Liberation Army to regain control of the nation and turn it into a true 'Islamic Paradise.' He eventually regains power and constantly phrases the Scourge of Manas, Sam, finding out what happened to Peter and how this all fit, learns of possible North Korean involvement, a lead in Africa, and discovered in a letter the phrase 'Red… tri… my… cota.' Later, he discovers it's a reference to a fungus of some sort, a species of Chytridiomycota. And a terrifying discovery is made.

It eats oil.

It made sense, Bolot said the source of immorality was technology, technology was driven by oil, and therefore, oil was the enemy of Isla. _The Scourge of Manas._ How did North Korea play into it though? Sam had a theory, they found their own oil fields, but being a pariah, they had no chance to exploit it. But with Omurbai's plot, involving this oil eating fungus. They help him regain Kyrzygstan, on top of one of the world's biggest deposits, Omurbai unleashes the fungus, while NK does elsewhere, and the world panics. Then NK announces its discovery. A frightening theory. Not to mention they find a way to neutralize it.

In the end however, it is all put to a stop, and Omurbai is killed.

Splinter Cell Double Agent (Have not finished playing yet.)

Sam learns that a drunk driver killed his daughter, sending him into a state of depression which causes him to quit. Fake crimes are orchestrated to get him into the trust of domestic terror group John Brown's Army. The outcome is Sam kills the terrorist leaders and disappears.

Ghosts assist Russian military in preventing an Ultranationalist coup

Rainbow: Black Arrow

2009

Mitchell leads a rescue mission in Waziristan. Also goes on peacekeeping missions in Eritrea.

Rainbow: GLF/LEGION virus

Splinter Cell Endgame (Novel)

2010

Ghosts safeguard elections in Cuba and Columbia.

Rainbow: The Las Vegas terror attacks.

2011

Third Korean Civil War. The government of North Korea diverts military funding to end the famine, infuriating the military and leading to a coup. North Korean General Jung Chong-sun seizes power, as well as the nuclear arsenal. The Ghosts are sent alongside NATO to deal with the threat. In the end, Jong is killed.

Las Trinidad-Brazilian war. America intervenes, replacing Artemis as a battlefield supervisor. Artemis switches sides to Las Trinidad and attacks US James Lawrence battlegroup. Crenshaw and his flight shift sides too and defeat Artemis forces in the area.

Third Echelon Conspiracy (Splinter Cell Conviction) Sam wanders the Earth looking for a reason to go on living, when he suddenly gets a whisper that his daughter's death wasn't an accident. He follows the lead to Malta, and finds Andriy Kobin, but is captured by 3E agents. He is brought to America. While trapped, Grim frees him and explains that Tom Reed, the new director is stonewalling Caldwell as well as working with a PMC Black Arrow. And that Sarah is still alive. After leaving and meeting up with Vic Coste, he heads to a Whit Box Laboratories, an EMP lab and finds 3 EMP weapons being taken away. The plot unfolds more as Sam watches a meeting between Reed and Black Arrow CEO Lucius Galliard.

They mention a group named Megiddo. Some sort of Illuminati group 'controlling' the governments of the world. Sam interrogates Galliard and learns of the EMPs being scattered across DC and how Reed will take over. But Galliard is killed by a gunman, who is later killed in a car bomb. After escaping 3E squads, Sam makes his way to the one place he never thought he'd go again.

Third Echelon.

He makes his way to Grim's office and learns a horrifying truth.

Lambert made the call. He did it because Sarah could be used as leverage by a mole in 3E. Lambert made the choice of faking her death, even if Sam would suffer. Make a new identity, use Kobin to provide a body.

Lie to his best friend.

And worst of all, he never found the mole.

Sam was at his most dangerous there as he made his way to find one of the EMPs, where Sarah's apartment was. Vic promises to reunite him with Sarah and brings her by chopper. Sam and Sarah are finally reunited after 3 years thinking the other was dead. However the reunion is cut short by the remaining EMPs and the chopper being shot down by a SAM everyone survives and Sam reluctantly makes his way to the White House. At this time, Artemis launches a surprise assault on the homeland in retaliation of America's demands that the PMC disarms. There, he and Grim fake his capture to get close to the president… and Reed.

There, Reed spills it in his 'moment of glory.' Reed would frame Fisher for killing the president and 3E would be just too late to save her. Explaining he did it because the president was going to shut down 3E. Megiddo was willing to play ball, but she wasn't. Her policies didn't match Megiddo. Reed's scheme was a wakeup call to the country that terror can happen at any time and vigilance must be endless.

Fisher however, manages to grab Reed while Grim kills his bodyguards. Sam interrogates Reed. He was the mole. Grim then kills Reed. Sam then once again walks away, despite Grim's pleads. Remarking 'Trust, funny you should mention that.'

After a few months, Artemis is defeated and the US homeland is secure. CEO and other high officials are later tracked and killed by Crenshaw. The H.A.W.X. Squadron is back in business as Crenshaw becomes a colonel.

2012

Operation War Wraith: Ghosts eliminate players in yet another rogue Chinese plot to take over Taiwan.

Kazakhstan falls into chaos as the president is killed by Asad Rahil and the loyalists losing their war to restore order. The Ghosts are sent to assist. Asad is killed.

2013  
April 2: A series of unusual events in Japan begin, ranging from mermaid sightings, glowing lights, and more.

Sam joins Paladin 9 Security, Vic's private security company.

Mexican Civil War begins and later ends. Major involvement from Ghosts.

Mexican Rebellion erupts from the Civil War, is later defeated by Ghosts and joint US/Mexican forces.

Splinter Cell Blacklist: 12 nations and major terror organizations, including Al Qaeda and the Taliban, fund a terror group known as the Engineers, who initiate an ultimatum called the Blacklist. A series of attacks every seven days, which starts in the US Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. The demands are for America to bring ALL MILITARY FORCES back behind American borders. Sam is once again brought back into the field. This time as the commander of the new Fourth Echelon. He and his new team, Anna Grimsdottir, hacker and techie Charlie Cole, former CIA agent Isaac Briggs, and later, former enemy Andriy Kobin, hunt the Engineers and uncover their schemes around the world. Majid Sadiq, former MI6, is their leader.

Eventually, the Engineers gain access to Site F, a government continuity bunker, and seize the president and other officials hostage. After Briggs kills the SECDEF to ensure codes and secrets wouldn't be taken, Sadiq is forced to withdraw. Sam and snipers are able to foil him and Sadiq is injured. He taunts Sam by saying the 12 nations helping the Engineers would declare war on America at once, and if on trial, he would spill every secret he knows. Instead, Sam uses his Fifth Freedom and unofficially imprisons Sadiq.

Splinter Cell Blacklist Aftermath (Novel) Russian billionaire Igor Kasperov suddenly shuts down his own company and disappears. He is a major player in the computer business. Sam and his team must find him as well as weapons grade uranium. It turns out, Kasperov was ordered to unleash a virus HE created, 'Calamity Jane,' a virus that renders GPS systems useless by exploiting systematic problems with cryptographic keying schemes. While those who 'truly' wanted this to happen (likely Meggido) want the uranium, which is rally Thorium, to never reach Europe. This would make the continent self-reliant and possibly never buy from Russia again.

In the end, it all goes off without a hitch, Kasperov makes a new name in America, and the world is unaware of its incoming peace.

August 12: An unusual drop in terror activities around the world occurs.

October 14: US soldiers go their second week in the month without combat.

November 26: Taliban leaders announce they are giving up on their Jihad in response to the outcome of the Blacklist.

December 25: Sam goes on his leave.

2014

January 21: Al Qaeda broadcasts its surrender and abandons its Jihad in response to the Blacklist's failure.

January 31: President Caldwell meets with world leaders to discuss plans for the future in the face of shrinking terror.

February 4: US forces begin to gradually pull out of Middle East.

March 5: Middle East begins to rebuild

March 21: Hezbollah movement crumbles apart.

March 31: Global Peace Celebration Day is declared.

May 7: Events in Japan get even stranger.

May 16: Several South American guerrilla groups abandon their cause.

May 22: Somalia sees an influx of peace.

May 23: Chechen rebels surrender agree to a treaty brokered by Sweden and Ukrain, ending their rebellion.

May 30: Middle East is fully rebuilt. Becomes the new marvel of the planet.

April 11: Africa sees a reduction in warlord activity and an increase in governmental authority.

2015

March 31: Global Peace Celebration Day.

May 4: Unusual demands are broadcasted to America and the powers in the Pacific. World ignores it.

May 10: A series of attacks in Asia, specifically China, North and South Korea, Vietnam, and Okinawa put the world on the path to war.

May 11: A terror group called the Remnants of the Rising Sun claim responsibility for the attacks in Asia. and give their demands. The Post-War Constitution suspended, the emperor restored, ALL foreign military presence removed, and every non-sovereign piece of land once part of the Japanese Empire restored to Japan's control. Sam is returned to active duty as the Remnant War begins.


	6. Chapter 1: Part 1

Author's note: This is gonna be a long chapter.

May 11th. Skies over United States. 8:50 P.M. 1 hour and 30 minutes before broadcast.

In the dark night skies, clouds passed in a peaceful, mesmerizing motion as the full moon shone its light on the Earth. Nearby, a massive cargo plane lumbered in the sky. On the outside it looked like any other cargo plane. But the saying 'It's what's inside that counts' held true. For inside this plane is a very carefully guarded secret. In the middle of the plane, was a setup akin to a war room. Computers big and small were everywhere, displaying sensitive information from all over the world. The data running through the computers held information and dossiers from the CIA, FBI, NSA, DCS, and countless other agencies. Dozens of men and women monitored these screens and passed files and papers to one another. This was Paladin. Mobile HQ of the American deniable agency Fourth Echelon.

Overseeing all this at a large table with an entire screen covering it was a red haired woman with the atmosphere of authority hanging over her head. For as of right now, she was in charge.

Anna Grimsdottir.

Her attitude, as well as those of the others, was at a steady calm demeanor. 2 years. 2 WHOLE years without an incident, attack, threat… Anything. Taking down the Engineers was a major blow to terrorism. So much so that other major groups, who have gone for so long to destroy America, invested so much money, weaponry, manpower, and faith not only into the Blacklist but several operations over the years in the past, had the morale finally beaten from them. The failure demoralized them so badly, that major groups like Al Qaeda abandoned their mission and either turned themselves in or gave up. Others buried themselves from the world, even those who supplied them, fearful that even the slightest action would bring death. Of course there were those who continued their war, but it was a futile effort, and one by one they fell to American forces and their allies.

Despite international tensions, such as border disputes, the world was at a manageable peace.

Peace.

It almost seemed like a dream.

It was the defeat of the Engineers that made this possible. The war was slammed into history books, of course the parts with Fourth Echelon was nowhere to be seen, being top secret. So as far as Fourth Echelon was concerned, it was just another boring monitoring day. Ah Fourth Echelon. The number one, unofficially, deniable agency that doesn't officially exist. Operating under the radar and outside the law to get the job done.

"Grim." A young adult said. She turned to see Charlie Cole, a young, eager, and cocky, but brilliant techie and hacker, approached her with a file of the latest tech upgrades. He is even capable of inventing new gadgets and weapons if need be. "Here are the update. Just the same old same old. No new toys or anything." He said. Grim rolled her eyes. They didn't exactly get along, sometimes driving one another crazy. But they make it work. Grim took a look at the files. Charlie was right, same old same old. Made sense though, with no emergencies there's been no need for any serious supply updates. Soon after, in comes Isaac Briggs, the CIA operative who joined Fourth Echelon during the Blacklist, he stuck around after. "Same old stuff?" He asked. "Same old stuff." Grim and Charlie said at the same time. "It's been two years since the Blacklist and NOTHING is happening. Why are we even still up here?" Charlie whined. "Stop whining Charlie. We have an important job to do and we have to do it." Grim said. "Why don't you hack something?" Said Isaac. "Been there done that. Besides the only good hacks are when Sam is on the ground. And he's been living with his daughter."

Sometime after the Blacklist and the calming of the world, Sam got to go home to look after his daughter and the near recovered Victor Coste, now up and on his feet. So for two years he's been off of Paladin. And some extreme changes have been made to the aircraft during the two years. Basically today was another boring day. "Calm down Charlie. It's not every year you get a peaceful time period. In fact I'm hoping this lasts until at least 2020." A crewman said. "Same here." Said another. "Me three. Still, it is pretty dull." Said a third. Charlie went back to his little shop upstairs to continue whatever he was doing. Briggs examined the monitors that were being used. "So I thought that when we get some downtime we could go into the cafeteria and get some grub while watching the game." Said the first crewman, named Frank. "Nah we did that last time." Said George, the second. "Am I the only one who wants an event to occur, so we're not bored anymore?" Asked the third, named Roy. "What could you possibly want to happen?" Asked George. "I dunno. Something." "Amen to that," Briggs said, "not that I hate the peace, but I'd like to do something besides play the waiting game."

Briggs decided to go back to his quarters to rest a little. It was just another boring boring day for Fourth Echelon.

10:20 P.M.

The sound of an alarm filled every nook and cranny of Paladin. The crew began racing around to get a handle on what was happening. "What's going on?!" Charlie yelled as he ran in the SMI room. Briggs following immediately after. Every computer was changed to a red screen saying 'Priority message from POTUS.' "Well Roy looks like you got your wish." Said Frank. "Doesn't mean I wanted it!" Roy said. "Get the president on the line!" Grim said. On the big screen came President Caldwell. "Where's Sam?!" She asked panicking, she was scared, as if DC was being attacked again. Like the White House was on fire. Again. "He's not on the plane. Why? What's the problem?" Grim asked. "Asia! There's a crisis in Asia!" Caldwell said. "Asia? Oh god is it North Korea again?!" Briggs asked shocked.

"Worse." Was Caldwell's reply.

Towson, Maryland. Home of Sam Fisher. 9:55 P.M.

I sat in the recliner chair in the living room, watching the news while Sarah was cleaning dishes. She came over recently to check up on me. I protested at the idea of letting her clean the dishes alone, but she kept insisting. It was another day. Another day to myself. I haven't had downtime like this to myself since, well, it's been so long. Being able to do what I wanted with no one to bug me. "You sure you don't want help Sarah?" I asked Sarah. "Yes Dad, for the tenth time I'm sure I can clean by myself with no male help." She said. I couldn't help my chuckle to myself. I refused to let her do all the work. Even though I haven't been in the field in 2 years, I know better than to slack off. 2 years though. No threats, no attacks, no nothing. Despite the troublesome North Korea and radical Iran, we've been living the peaceful life. I keep telling myself, 'This is what it was all for. So much sacrifice. It was worth it. But nothing will replace the men and women who gave it their all.' A knock came to the door. "I'll-" "I'LL get it Sarah." I said. She was working enough as it is. Upon opening it, a familiar face met mine.

"Sam old boy! How are you doing man?" "Hello Vic. Nice of you to drop by." I said. Victor Coste. Head of the Paladin 9 security PMC, and former Navy SEAL buddy of mine. He's the one man I trust like a brother ever since he saved me from a POW incident back in Iraq during Iraqi Freedom. Another reunion. We walked back to the living room and sat down. "Nice to have your ass back in the states Sam." Vic said. "Vic it's been two years since I've been back and you've seen me plenty." I said. "Doesn't mean it's still not true." As we chatted, Sarah brought us two beers. "Thanks Sarah." Vic said cracking his bottle open. "Sam been helping you instead of laying on his ass?" "Ugh. He won't let me lift a finger! You need to really try to get him to see reason." Sarah said, causing me to chuckle. "Yep, that sounds like your old man. Stubborn. He he he." "How's Paladin 9 been Vic?" I asked him. It's been a while since I've heard anything from the PMC. "Boy oh boy Sam, we've been growing and growing and growing. We have enough employees to operate without my direct supervision, we have the equipment of a small army, and the government has given us a place on the stock market. Not only that, we're going international. Small centers are opening in Britain and Japan. Things are just fantastic." Looks like Paladin 9 finally grew from a minor company to a nationwide PMC. It's a big shock, considering it's still a tad bit small. Of course I've read in the papers that it's one of the most popular PMCs in America. "How's Sarah been doing Sam? I heard she's been trying to get into the diplomat business." Vic said. "She is, and I'm proud of her, though I can't help but worry about her. Diplomats tend to be targets." I said. I've seen diplomats hurt and killed for simply being diplomats. "Easy does it Sam. The way I see it you've got nothing to worry about." Vic assured.

We talked about other things. Our past experiences, our thoughts on current world affairs. The usual stuff.

Until the sound of a plate breaking filled the air.

SARAH! We immediately got up and ran to the kitchen. "Sarah are you okay?!" I said. Sarah was still as a statue and pale as an albino, staring at the small TV we keep in the kitchen. I took a look and nearly jaw dropped. The headline read 'Massive simultaneous attacks in east to southeast Asia.' "Good god." Vic replied. Morris Odell was giving his report. "With casualties in the military numbers continuing to rise, civilian numbers remain low. The UN is having a conference as we speak to discuss claims of-" "GOD DAMMIT! Two years of peace and now here we are, back into the fray! This time it's Asia!" Vic cursed. The TV suddenly went black. "Now what?" The background changed to the Japanese battle flag with 'reclaim' written in Japanese on it. In front of it, was an old man fully armored in what was unmistakably samurai armor. Helmet, horns, the likes.

"You have been warned, and you did not listen." He said, his voice would give anyone goosebumps. Me? I was shocked at how angry he sounded. "Now, with your bases ablaze, you know our power. I will say it again. The Post-War Constitution WILL be suspended. Japan's military WILL be allowed to re-arm. The emperor's power restored, and ALL foreign military presence to be removed from the Japanese mainland. Then, with the exception of sovereign nations. You WILL return EVERY last piece of land that was once the Great Japanese Empire. Every island. Every base. EVERYTHING. Since you have NOW decided to listen, you will be given ten more days instead of six. If you don't make at least a move to obey at the end of the given time. We strike again attack the random base of a random nation. ANY random nation. Don't waste time. Make the amends while you still can! Dainipponteikoku o torimodoshimasu!"

The sound of banzais filled the air before the TV went black.

… Was… was this really happening? A terror group dedicated to the restoration of imperial Japan? It almost seemed like a dream.

Otomo and the I-SDF were one thing. But this was a whole new problem. Something worse. I knew I was gonna get pulled into the fire because of this. About a couple hours later, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it." I said, knowing who it was gonna be. Opening the door, I found two men in suits and shades. Secret Service. No doubt about it, and with them was none other than- "Madame President." "Sam. Thank god I've found you. No doubt you've seen the news?" She asked. "Same as everyone else in the country." I replied darkly. If they got to my TV, they had to of gotten to everyone else in America, even the world. "Then you understand the urgency of why I'm here."

She said. As much as I hated leaving my daughter again, I had to. I had at least two years to myself. I was still leader of Fourth Echelon too. That and I was very well aware of the consequences. "At least give me a minute or two." I said "I'll give you six minutes. No more. The time to act is now." Caldwell said. I turned to Sarah and Vic. "You don't have to worry Sam. I'll keep an eye on her." Vic assured. Like I said, Vic is the one man I trust more than anyone else. He always keeps his word. "He's right dad, I'll be fine. Go do what you have to do." Sarah said. That helped to put me at ease. Sarah's had some experiences over the years involving my work, specifically those who I work against. So it's no secret to her what I do. With a goodbye hug, a farewell handshake, and a couple necessities, I left my home for the President's limousine. No doubt I was gonna go to an airport.

In the limo was an Asian man with the looks of a diplomat, a general, and the new Vice President. "Here he is. Let's move." Caldwell said, prompting the driver to drive. "Thank god. I thought he would've turned it down." Said the general. "Fisher. Allow me to introduce you to Ambassador Hiro Sosho and General Ryan Turner. You already know Vice President Drew Hansen." After the Third Echelon conspiracy, Vice President Calvin Samson, who was working with Tom Reed and Black Arrow, was imprisoned for treason and replaced with Drew. While most people in politics I can't stand, Drew was okay in my books. He's one of those hardline 'take shit from no one' guys who stands up for his country and not his own personal agenda. "We've got citizens scrambling in fear, the Asian nations are ready for World War 3, and a terror force demanding a restored empire. The shit's hit the fan." Drew said. "Ain't that the truth?" Ryan agreed.

"We should've heeded their warnings before all this-" Sosho began before I spoke. "Before? They've made demands BEFORE they attacked?!" I asked in disbelief. "Yes. These terrorists call themselves the Remnants of the Rising Sun, and as far as we can tell they've already begun mobilizing, but we don't know where." Sosho said. It's not every day that terrorists give demands before they attack. "Fisher, you heard their demands right?" Caldwell asked.

"I did, the same stuff from Otomo, but this time there's more of them, we don't where they are, we've been attacked physically, and they're demanding the return of an empire." I said. "Sam, if their demands are met, it could start World War 3." Ryan said. I knew too well of the consequences. No US military presence in Japan would mean limited forces to watch Russia, or an angry China, or worse, trigger happy North Korea. No extra space for naval forces. China would be on constant alert and tensions in the Sea of Japan would be in the danger zone, with the communist nation still mad at the island nation. Russia would have to watch its step. North Korea would be even more trigger happy. Hell there may even be a serious incident. Who knows, maybe the Japanese would gain Midway. This was so much worse than the I-SDF.

"What do we know so far?" I asked. "All we know is that in the next ten days, if we don't do at least something to meet their demands, they'll strike. But I have something that may help." Sosho said. Reaching into his briefcase, he pulled papers out and handed them to me. "These are reports of suspicious activity from the Bokuto Police Department. They tell of suspicious trucks going in and out of a public storage facility once a week. In one day. Out the next. They were suspicious because they all followed the EXACT SAME TIMES with the EXACT SAME TRUCKS, and whenever an inquiry about the cargo was made, they got nothing." He said. "We've also had reports from soldiers stationed at the Yokosuka naval base." Ryan said. "At random days once a week, they've repeatedly seen suspicious persons passing in vehicles and head to a residential area nearby. The only other point of interest there besides the usual is an old run down abandoned warehouse." "And due to the scale and size of the attacks, there's no way the forces came from inside Japan." Caldwell said.

"That means we think they may be operating elsewhere." "Like where?" I asked, hardly believing what I heard. "We only have guesses. But there are a lot of em." Ryan said. "The only place they could've struck from without any warning would be areas of no interest. Say the islands of southeast Asia." Sosho said. "You're kidding right? There are so many of them. Most are just blocks of land in the middle of nowhere." I said finding this mind boggling. "That's why we need to move quickly. We're headed straight for the airport. Your team is waiting. Welcome back to the front." Caldwell said. The rest of the ride was silent, and probably for the better. My memory kicked in after Caldwell said 'Welcome back to the front.'

Those were Lambert's words.

Langley Air Base 9:55 P.M.

With my luggage of essentials, and everything else on Paladin, I made my way to the runway where paladin was. Sure enough I found it.

Or at least, I think I did.

I was told by Langley's personnel that it was near the runway and ready to go. But, this plane is… It looked like Paladin. It sounded like Paladin. It even had the emblem of Fourth Echelon on the side.

There was just one problem. This Paladin looked three times larger.

It was huge. Bigger than the Antonov made An-225 Mriya plane, the longest and heaviest plane ever made. This thing was like a flying building. It easily dwarfed the cargo planes here. I closed my eyes and reopened them, thinking I was dreaming. Paladin was still big.

"What the hell happened while I was gone?" I asked myself. "Heya Sam!" I heard a familiar voice say. It was Charlie, the techie of the group. "Like the new digs?" "What happened to Paladin?" I asked "Well when you went on shore leave, 4th Echelon was due for upgrades. We got new computers, an additional armory. Yes two armories at the loading hatch, with firing ranges. New holding cells- Ah forget it we got a whole new friggen plane. 445 feet long and 435 feet wide with two additional engines for power. A bigger, badder Paladin. Even a cafeteria and bedrooms!" Charlie said.

Now I know what you're thinking. 'This is impossible.' I'd agree with you and even now I'm having trouble registering this. But the truth is NOTHING is impossible. It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when. When will it be possible? Charlie led me up the ramp, the cargo area hadn't changed much, albeit being bigger. The next section included the armories he mentioned. Both were side by side, the firing ranges being on the far ends. The next section had the living quarters. I felt like I was in a ship instead of a plane, the rooms had a single bed. Bathrooms in between large intervals. We went up a small set of stairs, passing by an entertainment center with ping-pong, TV, computers, even video games. We passed by lots of people here and there, and I swear I recognized some as former maintenance workers from Third Echelon. The next room was the SMI room. "Say hello to SMI reborn… Ish." Charlie said. The SMI was in the same place as always, but the room was of course much bigger. Computers everywhere, analysts moving here and there like bees in a hive. It looked like a very very miniaturized version of the Pentagon's war room. (Think to the Pentagon in Black Ops 1.) A familiar red head stood at the SMI looking over two lists. One of the attacked areas and the other with possible origins of attack. "To think this used to be so small." I said quietly.

"Sam. Welcome back. It's been too long." Grim said. "I see the lists, how bad is it?" I ask. "Bad. Military targets in China, Vietnam, North AND South Korea, and Okinawa were attacked by the terrorists. They dealt some very serious damage and inflicted major casualties." She said. Looking over the list, I saw she was right. Fuzhou, Cam Ranh, the Yellow Sea, and Kadena. All four at the same time on the same day. These guys were good. Very good. "From the news we've gathered, the Remnants are highly trained and well-armed. Get this, they have their own planes too. And I mean their own, as in their designs are not consistent with any known types." Grim said. It wasn't every day terrorists had their own planes. "Do we know anything else?" I asked. "Only what you know. And those are our only leads." It wasn't long after Grim spoke that I heard the plane engines start.

We were about to lift off. None too soon.

"Looks like we're moving. I have to attend to a few things Sam. We'll talk later. I think it would be a good idea if you took a look around the plane. After all, it's been 2 years. You'll find a few familiar faces here." She said before turning to some analysts. Familiar faces? Did Grim possibly mean… The faces I saw earlier really were former Third Echelon employees?

I took a little walk around the now larger SMI room, it looked the same, with bigger screens and more space like I said. I ran into somebody, and immediately said, "Oh my God! Redding is that you?!" I said, not believing who I was seeing. He turned to me, having not changed one bit. On the outside at least. "Sam! I was hoping to run into you! It's been too long." He said. Redding was my former field runner after Coen was reassigned, providing me with the gear I'd need and giving recommendations. "When did you-?" I began. "Get here? Sometime in 2014. Gotta say it's nice to be back. Even if it isn't Third. Believe it or not, a lot of the rest of the staff is here too." He said.

"You mean-?" I said. "Yeah. Coen, Franco, even Bird. We didn't get here until after your deal with Igor Kasperov." I was processing this, but very slowly. It was a lot to take in. My old coworkers on Paladin? "I know I was shocked too," Redding said, "you should go around, say hi and see how they've been." "Wait. Why didn't you join earlier? Why didn't you help earlier?" I asked him. "Fair question. We were either cut off or fired from Third Echelon, forced to go elsewhere while Reed replaced us with those loyal to him. Of course it wasn't until after the Blacklist we realized Third Echelon was replaced with Fourth Echelon. But we're still all on your side Fisher."

A good excuse. Reed most likely removed most of the old staff for more cooperative people. I made way to check out the rest of the plane. "Hey Sam. That Charlie kid?" He inquired. "Yeah what about him?" I asked, fearing he may not like the kid. "He's a good kid. Smart. Just get him some obedience school and he'll be just as good as me." Redding said with a smirk. "I heard that old man!" Charlie shouted. "So you DO care Mr. Cole! Or is that the hacking deprivation talking again?" Redding challenged. I left the two to their bickering. They obviously were at one another for top spot.

Redding was right. I met several of my old coworkers from Third on Paladin while exploring. Coen, who was still a field runner. Bird, the former Osprey pilot, who helped fly Paladin on other shifts. He told me he misses the old Osprey though. Others are here too. This keeps up, and this place will really start looking like the old Third Echelon. There's only one person missing.

Lambert.

The thought of him brought back painful memories. Back when things were simpler. I was a man with a cause to believe in and was loyal to the core. I'm still that same man, but everything else has changed. I put a stop to several terror plots with the help of Third Echelon, foreign and domestic, even both. Like Operation Barracuda and the East Asia Crisis to name a couple. I made and lost friends and enemies. I was the ultimate deniable asset.

Then my daughter died. At least I thought she did.

I resigned, only to be brought back to stop John Brown's Army, a domestic American terror organization. I can't believe I didn't see it coming. But Lambert was captured.

And I had to kill him.

The loss of that man started a chain reaction that made the shit hit the fan. The Echelon we knew and loved fell apart without him, and I carried on looking for a reason to live, bringing me to the Third Echelon conspiracy. I don't focus on what I can't control. What's done is done. But that doesn't mean I don't forget about it. I'd be lying if I said I missed those days. I miss Vernon Wilkes. I miss the other Splinter Cells. Well those that I know of. I miss Peter, my adopted brother. Hell I even miss-

"Sam is that you?"

I froze in place. That voice. It's the same voice whose name started my return to America. The same voice that smuggled the EMPs. The same voice that Lambert used in a scheme to 'protect' me. The same voice that gave me intel during the Blacklist.

And the same voice that pretended to kill my daughter.

Slight anger building inside me, I turned to the man kept in Paladin since the incident with Igor.

"Andriy Kobin." I said, unmistakably with anger. He proved useful with his intel and connections to help us, and I'm not looking to kill him anymore. Rough him up maybe, but not kill him. But nothing will ever make up for what he did. He remained calm, but I could see the fear in his eyes as he put his hands up in defense. "Whoa easy. I know what you're thinking. Why am I out of my cell? Again? Well one, the Snow Maiden is still there, and two, I am completely on your side now." He said calmly.

"Really? Explain." I said, not wholly convinced. "After you left. I was kept here like you'd expect. I'll be honest with you. I was touched and thought of changing my goals, regardless of the past life's benefits. I had an epiphany if you will. I was under heavy thought to 'change my ways.'" He said. "You laughed it off didn't you?" I asked, knowing the answer. "Of course I did." He said. But his tone changed as he finished the sentence. "But as time passed. And the days got longer. I was afraid to sleep." He began. I saw sweat building at his temple. Because every time I did, I had nightmares. Not that Hollywood bullshit. I mean honest to god nightmares." His eyes got wider, and he began sweating more. "I saw… people… The… the people I killed. All of the- bad business I saw too." His face turned to one of fear and he fell to his knees. Much to my surprise. I found myself seeing to him. "Their screams." He whispered in horror. "Their loud, god awful screams… All my fault."

A few minutes later, he was getting back under control. "I'm still taking pills to help me sleep." I could hardly believe what I heard and seen. Andriy Kobin. Professional scumbag and murderer. Had a change of heart. "I know I'll never redeem myself in your eyes Sam. But I can still try. I'm teaching new recruits how to use the weapons here and even get certain objects of interest." He said. "Wait. What about your-" "Criminal empire? It all fell apart. I still have some guys willing to get info and other things. But as far as large scale stuff. I literally said 'fuck it' and pissed in the wind… Uh… that wasn't literal." He said.

He's right. He may never redeem himself. But he can try. "Anything else you want to tell me before I go?" I asked. "No. Besides, you should rest up. At least that's what Grim said." He said. "Wait… Grim?" I asked in surprise. "Yeah. Right place right time I guess." He said.

That aside. I left to get rest. Knowing he was right about that.

Meanwhile.

"I did it Grim. Right when we agreed." Kobin said into a radio. "Well guys. Looks like the oldies won." Grim said. "What?! Aw man!" Charlie said. They all worked out a questionably random bet on whether or not Kobin would pass Grim's message to Sam. Said bet stemming from Redding and Charlie's argument. The oldies were former Third Echelon personnel. The newbies lost $5 each.

AN: I'm ending this chapter here. Phew. It's a long one I know. I decided to have scenes focusing on Sam in the first person, having recently read some Splinter Cell novels. I hope this doesn't inconvenience you. Being a Splinter Cell fan, I couldn't help but notice that most of Third Echelon's staff was just forgotten. So I brought them back! Too bad Lambert isn't here.


	7. Chapter 1: Part 2

AN: You're probably wondering. When will the Azu girls show up? OR even what's the point of this crossover? Honestly, I've been watching Azumanga and other anime on YouTube while my story was in its infancy, only to put it off and watch more. I sometimes even question the logic myself. Only to remember it'll be funny. Now I don't wanna drag them into this too early, seeing as I've got plans for them, especially Chiyo. I hop it'll get some laughs out of you. Next chapter will be dedicated to them.

Over the coast of Tokyo, Japan. May 13th. 7:55 A.M.

Nine days until the next strike.

I woke up sometime after sleeping. Being able to sleep and wake at will was a great asset for my job. My OPSAT's pulse function, a little T-shaped rod protruding from the flexible band when the silent alarm goes off rock back and forth, nudging my pulse. Helps me in the field. SO much better than any alarm clock. But I was feeling like shit. Like I was about to throw up. I don't know why. Maybe it was my time away from the plane, or the current events. Perhaps it was seeing old friends in the same place at the same time, or even Kobin being truly on my side. Maybe it was all of those things. The point is I was feeling terrible. I checked the time. It was 7:55. I got up and went to the cafeteria. A cafeteria on a plane. Still trying to wrap my mind around it.

It's small. Four long school tables and a small kitchen in the back. Kitchen being on the tail side of the room. I got something simple. 2 pancakes and a milk. Don't wanna push my feeling. Sitting down, I was met by the stares of unfamiliar faces. After a few seconds, they mumbled amongst themselves. I could hear some words here and there.

"… that one guy?"

"Yeah… first Splinter Cell. He…"

How'd he know I was the first Splinter Cell? Even other Splinter Cells didn't know about one another back then.

"… Georgia, Indonesia, East Asia…"

They knew my record too?

"… you guys are idiots."

"No! I'm seri… Sam!"

My name too? We may all be friends here but that stuff isn't public knowledge. I figured I'd get some answers. There were five of them by the way. "What do you know about Sam Fisher?" I asked. "Shit. Well Rick looks like we've been made, you wanna tell him or should I?" The first one said. He had a Brooklynite accent. Had a toothy kind of look, and a bit scrawny. But he looked like he could hold his own. He was wearing a blue shirt with a baseball on it and the word 'Yankees.' He looked pretty young. Like around Charlie's age.

The guy he was talking to, Rick, was totally different. He had a soldier's buff and a little tan on him. I can tell because he was wearing a tank top with 'Marines' on it. Former Marine. "I'm not saying anything. You're the one who started this conversation Tyler." Rick said. "Hey Brian, help a fella out?" The man Tyler was talking to now looked rather dark. As in he had black hair covering one of his eyes and pale skin while wearing all black. A shirt with a white star and some slip on shorts. He kinda looked like a character from one of those Japanese cartoons, 'anime?' I don't know what it's called. But that's how I would describe him.

"Sorry Ty, you're on your own" He said getting back to his waffles. Tyler looked back at me nervously. "Uh hey Sam. UH I mean sir!" He said uneasily. "So you know my name." I said. "It's hard not to recognize the commander here. Who just happens to be the first Splinter Cell." He said. "Speaking of that. That's not public knowledge. How do you know all that?" I asked him. "The Ice Queen." He said. Grim. She must be figuring with all of us in the same place we could know each other better. She should've at least contacted me first. This could be a security risk.

"Well. Uh I'm Tyler, Tyler Richardson from Brooklyn," 'Nailed it.' I thought. "I'm a Shadownet operator." He finished. "Shadownet eh?" I asked. For those interested in ancient history, Shadownet, a sub-branch of Third Echelon, was started during the Indonesian Crisis, to locate Pox Boxes. Part of an insurance policy against the US started by Suhadi Sadono, leader of the Darah Dan Doa. If Sadono died, the boxes would release the Small Pox virus and infect the US population. While I hunted Sadono, Shadownet hunted the boxes, which were being protected by mercenaries from ARGUS. Armed Guardian Services. They were the best in their field. Which was defense contracts. Unusual for mercenaries. They had former military and elite police on their side as well as cutting edge equipment. They had to be expensive. But we succeeded and the boxes were neutralized.

After Third Echelon was shut down, I was sure that Shadownet followed. But I learned they too were reimagined. "Yep. We got bigger too. Brunton's back too. But I guess no one told you that." He said. "Nope. Nice of them to share." I said sarcastically. "Anyway. If you need a good pair of eyes, I'm your man. I'm the Intel Scout of our little trio." Tyler said. "Intel Scout?" I asked not following. "Yeah. It's a term used for one of our suits. It emits pulses that detect hostiles. Kinda like a bat." He said. I knew of Shadownet but not the specs on their gear. That would come in handy should my gear fail me. Which it hasn't.

Brian spoke next. "My name's Brian Thompson sir. From Miami. It's an honor to meet you sir." He said. He looked emo, but he talked like any other person, just softer. "Out of these two, I'm the quietest. I play the Predator role. My suit can bend light. Giving me an invisible appearance. It's not perfect, but it works." Invisible? Now that's a dream.

"Rick Williams sir. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Former marine first recon. Now operative. I fill the saboteur. My suit emits an EMP wave. Any hostile electronics? Zzt. Out." He said. I focused on the other two still chatting with one another. While looking like they've seen a celebrity. "What are your stories?" I asked. The first got up. He was Caucasian with brown hair and eyes. "At first I didn't think it was you. But now that I had time to think about it, I stand corrected." He said. "Corrected on what? What are you talking about?" I asked confused. The second, who had black hair and blue eyes spoke next. "You probably don't remember us, but we worked together once. Remember North Korea? The I-SDF?" He asked.

It clicked. During one of my missions in the East Asian Crisis, a North Korean officer in the invasion of the South, was being tracked by these two. They were in training then. The target was relocated, and I found an NK Special Forces member who knew where he was. We only spoke on the radio, but now I recognized their voices. "We thought we were the first Splinter Cells, but we soon learned better. It's been a long time." The first said. "What happened to you two?" I asked them. "After Third Echelon was under Reed's management, my partner and I went off the grid, for he placed us on a kill list. Later after the fall, we feared we would be tried. We wanted to help during the Blacklist, but we couldn't. We were too scared. Sorry sir. It wasn't until after we were contacted we learned we were needed." He said. I let bygones be bygones.

"What happened happened. No use complaining. Since you know my name, what are yours?" I asked. "I'm Bob Evans." Said the first. Tyler stifled a laugh. I admit, I thought it was a little funny. "As in…" "Yep. The restaurant. It's okay I'm used to it." He said smiling.

"I'm Steve Burns, like Blue's Clues." The second said. Tyler let it out there, followed by the sound of an elbow to the ribs. Brian wanted quiet I take it. Following the name game, I talked with the spies. I learned about their experiences and their 'adventures' if you will. Tricks they employed, and how they got into this line of work. A text sent to my OPSAT grabbed my attention.

'Sam. It's Grim. We're closing in on Japan. You should get to the SMI room ASAP.'

"Well. I need to get going." I said getting up. The pancakes made me feel a little better. "You're lucky sir, you get to see Japan." Tyler said. "I've seen it before. Every time on business." I said. Walking away, I quietly said, "I'd like to see it when there isn't anything going on.

In the SMI room, Grim, Briggs, and Charlie were all gathered around. "We have the locations of our two leads. The storage facility here, and the warehouse here." Grim said pointing at two points on the screen. The facility was located in a nice peaceful suburb, the warehouse was closer to the Yokosuka base. "If the need arises, we have a safe house down at this address, used to be Third Echelon. The CIA took custody until Fourth Echelon came around." I remember the house. I was there at least once, but I know it like yesterday.

"Also if need be we need to be able to speak to locals. How's your Japanese Sam?" Briggs asked.

"Kon'nichiwa. Watshinonamaeha Sam." I said. "That was really good!" Redding said walking over. "Yeah… Uh what'd you say?" Charlie asked. "Hello. My name is Sam." Charlie simply looked back to the SMI, and Redding smirked. I already knew what was going on. "How do you want to handle this?" Grim asked me. "I'll airdrop here, on the coast. Then I'll make my way up after getting in civvie clothing. It'll take a good while to get up to where I need to go. I'll go later in the day. So when I make it here, to the facility, it'll be dusk. If I'm quick. I'll make it to the warehouse. If not, I'll have another shot." I said. I was feeling satisfied with my plan. "In the middle of rush hour Sam? People will be all over the beach, you'll be seen for sure." Grim said. "You're right. But I'll look like a parasailer. By the time they realize what's going on, I'll be long gone." I said.

"Sounds like a plan." Coen said walking in. "I've driven by the area he's talking about. There are several small inlets that can hide him. There are small forests located there too, giving him somewhere to run" "Exactly." I said. "Sounds good. Be right back. Got something for ya." Charlie said.

Kobin came in after with a gun case. "Did I miss the briefing?" He asked. "Fraid so." Briggs replied. "Ah shit." Kobin said. Charlie came back with a familiar spherical object about the size of a baseball. It had three green lights just like my goggles. "Hey. Isn't that Spider-Bot?" I asked. During the Blacklist. I sometimes controlled another brainchild of Charlie's, the Spider-Bot, to gather intelligence and even destroy Blacklist projects when I wasn't in the field. In Charlie's hands, the little bot self-activated. I was confused, for the on off switch was my OPSAT. "Say hello to the new and improved Spider-Bot. Believe it or not, I upgraded it with its own 'brain' if you will." He wasn't kidding. It was running all over his arm getting an idea of where it was at. "Impressive." I said. I wasn't one of those people who feared 'the robot revolution' in the future. If anything, we need to fear technology turning against us because of the Black Market. "Bot. Meet your new owner. Sam." Charlie said, handing his hand out to me.

I held mine out as well. The bot stared for a few seconds before finally skittering over to my hand and up to my shoulder, where it seemed comfortable. "Now all we need is a pirate's hat." Kobin joked. Everyone chuckled except for me. Though I have yet to really get used to it, a self-controlled Spider-Bot would be useful. No multitasking.

Redding spoke next. "Did some work on your goggles. Not sure what genius decided to remove the other vision sets. I told Charlie stories about you and your work back then, and about the old sets of goggles. We did work on the. Now you have night vision, thermal, EMF, and sonar." Redding said handing me a set of tri-goggles. "It still may need tweaks, so don't go crazy." Charlie said. On the outside I was cool and calm. The inside? I was more enthusiastic. More sets means a better idea of what I may be walking into. I placed them on my head. "The sets have been updated, so you can see much better, give it a try." Redding said. I checked NV, just like before. Green and clean. Thermal was next. It was similar to my earlier set, but it was much more crisp and clear. Looking at the team I could make every curve, hair, and wrinkle. Next came EMF. It was completely different. Instead of the usual white with every other detail being blurred beyond recognition, the electronic areas were orange and there was accurate and fine detail everywhere. Finally came sonar. I was completely surprised. It was all blue and I could see further than before, moving gave only minimal interference. "Wow." I said removing my goggles.

"Sam. I got something for you too." Kobin said. "Oh boy." I mumbled. "I heard that. Don't worry you're gonna LOVE this." 'I doubt it.' I thought. "Grim said so." He said. "Did she now?" I said looking at her. Knowing all about her little 'secret slipping.' That was probably the first time I've ever seen her look so submissive and ashamed. Kobin set down the case on a nearby table and opened it.

I swear I stopped breathing when I saw what lay in it.

"Is-is that-" I began. I reached into the case and pulled out the one weapon I never thought I'd seen again. "Fits like a glove eh Sam?" Grim said. It was none other than the SC-20K. The old assault rifle Splinter Cells used in my day. Until the EMP incident, when it was replaced with the SC-3000. And then the SC-4000. I never got used to those weapons. They were reliable, accurate, and powerful. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was I now had to throw my gadgets, the newer rifles not compatible with grenade launchers. I have a great arm, but the SC-20 was much more effective.

"We did some work to it," Redding began. "You don't need to concentrate super hard to make the perfect shots or worry about shots missing your targets on full auto. It's attachment interchangeable and carries the arsenal of before. We thought you'd need them." I swear I stopped breathing. 'Breath Sam. You're not a kid opening a Christmas present.' I thought. "Jeez Sam you look like a kid on Christmas Day." Briggs said. Yeah I walked right into that one. "You mean the cottonball? The All-Seeing Eye?" I asked. "Everything Sam." Redding said. "Wait. Kobin. Where'd you get this?" I asked. "Grim gave it to me for safekeeping before the DC incident." She said.

"Welcome back Sam. Gifts for returning I'd say." Briggs said. "And about to be thrown back into the field." A female voice said. Coen. "Got word the fly-boys in the cockpit, we're ready when you are."

That's my cue.

"Instruct them to fly over the ocean, I'm gonna make a drop right in it." I said. "In the middle of this season Sam?" Kobin said. "Yeah. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." I said. I'll drop into an inlet, any beachgoer will assume I'm an adrenaline junkie, which I kind of am, but not too extreme. After the drop I'll make way into the city.

A few minutes later

The back of Paladin opened up to reveal the skies over the Japanese coast. Quite a sight to see. Blue sky with white clouds and matching sand. With a clean blue sea. Definitely postcard worthy. But no time for sightseeing. I waited for the light to turn green. For now I'm going in alone. I'm carrying my Five-seveN, SC-20K, an assortment of gadgets, and brought Spider-Bot along. The glow of red changed to bright green and I immediately ran off the ramp. Being a SEAL helps prepare you for skydiving. I gave a look at the coast. A massive metropolis lining the beach. I was heading towards a more natural part of the coast though. As in forest.

Reaching the desired altitude, I opened my parachute and slowly descended to the inlet. I saw several boats and beachgoers who undoubtedly saw me, but I was too far away to make out. Out of the corner of my eye, I was right next to a parasailer. He was already facing me. His reaction was priceless. I decided to screw with him and saluted. I wasn't too worried about him, his friends may spread rumors but the way I see it, they'd think it was a cosplayer. I'm no expert on Japanese culture, but I knew they were a little… crazy for that kind of stuff. If any, the attention would be 'otakus' as they are called. From what I've heard from celebrities is that they're rabid. But celebrities aren't always dealing with gun-toting goons.

I finally made it to the desired location on the beach and made way for the forest. It would be a while before making it to my destination but it would be worth it. I grabbed civilian clothes and wore them over my ops suit. Just like the good old days. I chose my DC clothes, they kinda grew on me. That and I heard rumors of it being 'the attire of Third Echelon's most feared and revered operative.' Slinging my pack onto my shoulder, I made way to the city.

Time to go on a terrorist hunt.

AN: That's it for now peeps. Just so you know my first day of my semester at college was today so if I appear late. Well… you know. Anyway we'll get to the Azu girls next chapter. Remember, this will be a MULTI crossover. More than one game. More than one anime. I don't wanna spoil the surprise but I'll say this much. The games will be Tom Clancy games. Nuff said.

Remember. I own nothing.


	8. Chapter 1: Part 3

AN: Welcome back. Get ready to see the Azu girls and their reactions to the Remnants.

May 12th. High School in Tokyo.

Another day, another lesson finished. "Okay kids school's out! You can get out of here!" Yukari said grabbing her books and walking out of the room. As soon as she was out of earshot. Tomo spoke. "YAY! School's over for today!" She was labeled as the schools wildcat idiot. She was energetic and competitive, with the right IQ for a mischievous lifestyle. In front of her was her childhood friend Yomi, who was a bit of the opposite. As in smarter, quieter, and as of right now, more annoyed.

"You yelled right IN MY EAR!" Yomi yelled. "Hey hey calm down chunky pony." Tomo said immediately running away when she finished. Yomi chased after her. That was Tomo's nickname for her in regards to Yomi's desire to control her eating habits. "Who's your money on this time?" Asked Kagura, the tomboy of the group. "Tomo." Said one half of the class. "Yomi." Said the other. "Sakaki how about you?" Kagura asked her classmate. The tall quiet girl Kagura spoke to looked back with a confused face. "I'm sorry. What?" She asked. Sakaki was busy looking out the window. Again. "Never mind. Osaka, Chiyo how about you?" Osaka, real name Ayumu Kasuga, hailing from Osaka, was what many would call the class klutz. She was off in la la land. AGAIN. Chiyo was a different story. She was the smartest girl in the class. But this was ironic because she was a 12 year old. She was placed in high school because of her above average intelligence. "Huh? Oh. I just wish they'd get along." Chiyo said sadly.

As the class got their stuff together, Tomo ran straight by with food in her hands and an angry Yomi chasing her. "You want this food pony?! YOU GOTTA CATCH IT!" She yelled. "DAMN YOU TOMO! DAMN YOU!" Eventually Yomi caught Tomo and would've given her the beating of a lifetime had it not been for Chiyo's intervention. After the two cooled off, they all made way to Chiyo's house. But first, they decided to check out the city. It wasn't too far away. Maybe they'd see something they'd like.

"So anyway. When we go to Chiyo-chan's summer home again, I figured we'd-" She stopped talking when she saw Ayumu grabbing free samples. Again. "Osaka! Didn't you learn from last time?!" Tomo said freaking out. "But it's still so hard to resist." Ayumu replied in defense. "Osaka's actually got a point there." Kagura said. Yomi and Sakaki nodded in agreement. While Chiyo continued to walk. "What where you saying earlier?" Kagura asked Tomo. "Oh yeah! I figured we'd get sexier bikinis, more revealing, give more fan-service." Yomi, Kagura, and Sakaki looked traumatized while Ayumu and Chiyo were completely clueless. "What's fan-service?" Ayumu asked. "Uh it's being nice to guys!" Kagura said before Tomo could open her mouth. "That reminds me. Y'all still don't have boyfriends." Ayumu said non-chalantly.

That hit a nerve.

"Well neither do you!" Tomo yelled. Ayumu simply smiled her signature smile. "Ooh! Look at the big screen!" Yomi said. It was currently on NHK. "In other news, the idols of talent agencies all over Tokyo, including 765 and 346 studios are preparing for the upcoming idol competition!"

People, especially of the teenage variety, began cheering at this. "Oh man I love 346's music!" Yomi said. "Hah! 765 is better!" Tomo said. The two bagan to argue again. "I love both of them." Kagura said. "The tomboy liking girl idols? Seems kinda out there." Tomo said. "Oh it's possible." Yomi said. "Yeah. My favorite is Makoto. I really relate to her in more ways than one." Kagura said. "Really? Mind sharing?" Asked Tomo. "Well. Back in middle school, a lot of would girls come after me, thinking I was a boy. I had to admit I did look like a boy back then." Kagura said, lowering her head in embarrassment. "Looked more like a boy." Tomo said to herself, studying Kagura's physique.

"Uh Tomo… What are you…?"

"You must've had some flat boobs back then!" Tomo said.

You could swear Kagura blew a fuse because she ran after the now running Tomo. Yomi slightly chuckled to herself. "You gotta admit that was kinda funny." She whispered. Sakaki was looking at som cat plushies at a little store nearby, having a difficult time deciding which one to buy. 'This one. NO this one!' She thought over and over again.

"Ever wonder why they're called tomboys?"

Everyone, even Tomo and Kagura in mid-run, turned to Ayumu. "Why are girls with boyish personalities called tomBOYS? Wouldn't it make more sense to call em rowdey girls or muscle girls or tomGIRLS?" The question left everyone blank. "Oh that's right. If girls with boy personalities are called tomboys. Does that mean boys with girl personalities are called tomgirls?" Ayumu asked. While Ayumu smiled that same clueless smile of hers, the girls cringed, disturbed at the thoughts of boys wearing girl clothing in their heads.

"Um actually I think they're called drag qu-" Yomi and Kagura grabbed her and shut her up, sparing Chiyo from the horrors of the word 'Drag-Queen' "Let's keep going." Sakaki said grabbing everyone's attention. "Yeah… She's got the right idea. Let's go." Chiyo said happily.

A few minutes later, the girls passed by a game store, but froze upon hearing an oh so familiar voice. "WHOOO! FINALLY! New game new game!" Miss Yukari came running out of the store with a video game in hand. "Miss Yukari?!" Everyone yelled. Ayumu was staring into dreams-ville. "Oh! Uh. Hello kids." She said. "Why are you at a video game store?" Yomi asked. "You seriously don't know!? The new (Insert hyper popular Japanese game franchise here) is out!" "SERIOUSLY!? NO WAY!" Tomo freaked. "I KNOW RIGHT!?" Yukari replied. As the two talked about the plotline and favorite characters, Yomi asked the obvious question. "Anyone else ever get the feeling that Yukari and Tomo are separated mother and daughter?" To which everyone agreed. "I don't see a family resemblance." Ayumu said, earning deadpanned looks.  
"YUKARI!" The voice of Minamo Kurosawa, the PE teacher, and 'rival' to Yukari shouted, running their way. "You and I are supposed to be planning out your daily schedule!" She shouted. "AW do I have to?!" Yukari whined. "You promised!" Kurosawa said. "I only said that so you'd stop bugging me." Yukari argued. "UGH! You're impossible." Kurosawa said. "Look who's talking!" Yukari retorted.

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me! Miss daily planner!"

"At least I make an effort! You sleep in all day!"

"OH! Then what about that one time that one summer?! Remember with Mr Long Tan and Handsome?!"  
"You promised to never speak of that again!"

The two teachers began a slap fight. The kind in which nobody is really hurt. "Well. This is entertaining." Yomi said. "They're going at each other's old wounds!" Tomo said.

That's when it happened.

The TVs once displaying singing teenage idols and the release of the next Attack on Titan episode were replaced with news footage of burning military bases. All time seemed to stop as people paid attention to the screens. Even Yukari and Kurosawa ceased their bickering. "Oh my gosh." Yomi said quietly. "Hey… isn't that… a Chinese base?" Tomo asked, pointing to the burning flag blowing in the wind as the fighting on screen continued. The image was replaced by Kadena base in Okinawa. "That's Kadena airbase in Okinawa!" Chiyo pointed out. The news reporter was giving the reports of destruction and casualties when the feed was cut. Then replaced by the Japanese battleflag with 'reclaim' written on it in Japanese.

"Reclaim. Reclaim what?" Kagura said.

The old man came into view.

"He… he looks like a samurai." Sakaki said. Indeed he did. (Once more with the speech my friends, once more) "You have been warned." When he spoke, anyone who was not already paying attention did now. "And you did not listen. Now, with your bases ablaze, you know our power. I will say it again. The Post-War Constitution WILL be suspended. Japan's military WILL be allowed to re-arm. The emperor's power restored, and ALL foreign military presence to be removed from the Japanese mainland. Then, with the exception of sovereign nations. You WILL return EVERY last piece of land that was once the Great Japanese Empire. Every island. Every base. EVERYTHING. Since you have NOW decided to listen, you will be given ten more days instead of six. If you don't make at least a move to obey at the end of the given time. We strike again attack the random base of a random nation. ANY random nation. Don't waste time. Make the amends while you still can! Dainipponteikoku o torimodoshimasu!" He yelled. Banzai emitted from the TV as thousands of soldiers filled the camera cheering.

The feed ended there.

Silence fell over the city. You could hear a pin drop from a mile away. Eventually people began to move, but said nothing. All with the look of fear in their eyes. The girls resembled statues the way they just stood there, mouths agape. Even Ayumu. The klutz who never seemed to pay attention, was terrified. "G-g-girls?" Chiyo meekly said. Receiving equally meek yeahs from everyone. "U-u-are we still going to my house?" She asked. Again, yeahs. "Uh… about that daily planner." Yukari said in a small fear-filled voice. "I-it can wait." Kurosawa said. The two teachers went their respective ways. While the girls walked to Chiyo's house.

The walk there was dead quiet. And not just because of the girls. Everyone they passed, everyone they met. Had the same look of pure shock and real fear on it. No eye contact, no panics in the city.

Just-

Dead-

Silence.

Chiyo found herself pushing the button to her home, and the gate opening to greet her and her friends. Upon opening the front door, Chiyo's mother greeted them. She was a beautiful woman with Chiyo's hair color and wore a simple woman's kimono. Just like everyone in the city, she too was terrified. "Chiyo! Oh thank goodness you're okay! The broadcast has everyone frightened… Oh. You're friends are here too? I'll call their parents, let them know they're safe." She said. As she ran for a phone, the girls walked into the house, and down the stairs came Chiyo's father. A business looking man with a young complexion, glasses, and a suit and tie. He too was scared.

"Chiyo! Thank goodness! You're mother!" "She's calling my friend's parents." Chiyo said. Shaking. Her father knelt to her height and embraced her, hoping to calm her down. "We'll be upstairs." Yomi said, slightly less frightened. As they walked to Chiyo's room, Chiyo's mother came back, relieved that the parents were able to be contacted. "Father?" Chiyo asked. "What is it Chiyo?" He replied. She looked up to him, fear in her face. "What's going to happen Father?" Mr. Mihama stood back up and straightened his glasses. He looked towards the still on TV, showing the attacks that spurred the broadcasts.

"I don't know Chiyo. I don't know."

May 13th, 5:30 P.M.

School was cancelled for the day, the broadcast putting everybody on edge. Chiyo decided to call her friends to get together and calm everyone's nerves. First they met up in the park and went to small stores, Sakaki finally picked out a little plush kitten to buy. It was a little tiger. After that, they went to an arcade and competed for highscore. Kagura and Tomo were neck and neck and a draw was decided. Now they were heading back to Chiyo's home to spend time.

It was nice and calm until Tomo spoke. "So. What do you think is gonna happen?" She asked. "I don't know." Yomi replied. Knowing exactly what she meant. "Do… do you think Japan is gonna end up a warzone like the Middle East?" Tomo asked. "I'm positive that won't happen. After all, the news confirmed that the Remnants were operating out of the country. If anything the islands nearby would be filled with craters." Kagura said. "Islands?" Ayumu asked. "If I had to think, and I'm sure the military is too, the Remnants are operating from islands in the Pacific But there are so many where to start?"

Kagura was right. She wasn't a military strategist or anything. But anyone with common sense would realize that finding the Remnants was like a needle in a haystack. And if they screwed up, what's to say the Remnants wouldn't move shop?

"I for one am positive that we will get through this. That and Japan will be fine. Besides, when was the last time anybody tried to invade?" Yomi said. "You still can't help but think" Tomo said. "And that's about all we can do." Yomi said.

"Why are we talking about this?! We should be thinking about what we're going to do when we get to my house." Chiyo said enthusiastically. That put the thoughts aside as the girls collectively agreed with Chiyo. "What ARE we gonna do anyway?" Ayumu asked. The question distracted the girls from paying attention, so they didn't see where they were going. Sakaki was the first to bump, next came Yomi, then Kagura, Tomo, Ayumu, and Chiyo. Humorously one after the other. The man didn't move a centimeter from the impacts.

"Uh…" Was all they said. The man was a tall Caucasian. At least a bit taller than even Sakaki. He had slightly grayed hair with a green turtleneckish looking green shirt and brown pants with a backpack, he was walking out of a storage facility until Sakaki bumped into him. He turned his head to the girls with what looked like a slightly irritated look on his face. "Uh… uh… s-sorry!" Sakaki said bowing, the girls followed suit and did likewise. His expression softened. "Don't worry about it." He said with an American accent. He hailed an incoming taxi, which stopped to let him in. "Can you get me to Yokosuka base?" He said getting in. The driver must've said yes, for the man smiled, letting the taxi take him away.

"Well… that was a little scary." Kagura said. "Yeah." Yomi said. "Anyway what were we talking about?" Ayumu asked. The girls continued on their merry way to Chiyo's.

AN: That's it for the Azu girls, it was short I know. I'll make it up to you Azu fans in a later chapter. Next chapter we get back to Sam. Peace out loosrs.

Yes I know how to spell losers.


	9. Chapter 1: Part 4

AN: Back to Sam. As for the rate of chapters being made. I have no set schedule. Pretty much whenever I feel like it. That and there will be parts where characters will speak different languages. Mostly Japanese. These will be indicated by _italics._

May 13th. Tokyo.

I made it to the city sidewalks. The looks I got from people only spoke 'A foreigner. Moving on.' No more no less. The Bokuto station's jurisdiction wasn't much further. I passed a TV store broadcasting current events. The headline said _'Crisis in Asia. Japan once again under threat._ ' "Of course Japan would be upset" I said. After all, Japan was the center of attention in this war. I moved on to an intersection being directed by police women. Feeling the need to confirm I was going the right way, I decided to try to make contact with Paladin, didn't wanna attract attention though.

I subtly brought my right hand to my left, looking like I was scratching at the band around by wrist. That band was the OPSAT.

{Paladin. Am I traveling in the right direc

" _Excuse me sir."_ A woman said.

Looking up, I saw a policewoman walking towards me, not good. _"Is something wrong officer?"_ I replied. _"Have you seen this man?"_ She asked holding up a photo. It was a Japanese man wearing what looked like a superhero mask with a cape and a baseball player's outfit. The name was Strike Man. _"No I haven't seen him. Sorry officer. But seeing as you're here I need help finding a storage facility by the name of Little Yuki's. Is this the right way?"_ I asked her. _"Yes, just keep going down this way. Can't miss it. It's quite a long walk though. I'd get a taxi."_ She said. I thanked her and went on my way. Hardly helping myself to keep from chuckling at the scene. A man was tied to a poll with a sign saying _"This ruffian was disturbing the peace in an intoxicated manner." – Strike Man._

I hailed a taxi and asked him to take me to little Yuki's. Halfway there, the driver asked if I wanted the radio on. I told him it was okay. _"As the first day of the countdown nears the end, East Asian military forces scramble for possible action against the Remnant's next attack. Vietnam, China, and other Pacific nations have forces in place at the coast and in nearby cities preparing for an attack. Reports from America have determined that the American leadership is contemplating what the best course of action would be aside from already sending additional troops to Japan. The only question is this. Where will the Remnants strike next?" "Ugh these Americans. Uh no offense mister! I mean I have respect for the nation but you'd think they'd do something other than military action nowadays. Do something more about this."_ The driver said. He looked no older than 23. Couldn't blame him for thinking that way, and from history, America has usually been a hit first talk later kind of nation.

" _It's okay. I know what you mean."_ I said to him. "More than you think." I whispered. He turned the radio to a peppy song that fitted the stereotypical Japanese pop star girl music genre. _"Ah 765! If there's one producer I love, this is it!"_ The driver said like he's hearing something more precious than seeing gold. _"Never heard of them."_ I said. _"Can't blame you, it's mostly kept to Japan. 765 is an idol agency. They 'produce' idols, mostly female. They're a sensation here in Tokyo."_ He explained. _"In fact, they're closing in on world fame. There's an upcoming idol competition here. It's gonna be a worldwide broadcast. You happen to be around at the time, you should get a ticket. They're priceless to hear, regardless of age!"_ He finished. _"Maybe I will. Who knows?"_ I said.

A little while later, we made it to the storage facility. _"We're here."_ Little Yuki's. This is the place. _"Thank you. Keep the change."_ I said handing him some yen. _"You're welcome sir. Enjoy Japan!"_ He said before driving away. 'I have before. On business." I thought. The storage facility had seven rows of 8 storage garages and to the far left was the management structure, complete with a decorative, but fake, lighthouse.

It even had a cat looking out the window. 'How cute.' I thought. I walked inside, making my way to the front desk. There were workers going here and there, and one at the front desk. _"Excuse me."_ I said. _"Oh. Hello. Welcome to Little Yuki's. How may I help you?"_ The receptionist asked. _"Right now I'm curious about hours. A friend is thinking about storing some things here. How long are you open?"_ I asked him. Knowing the times means knowing when people will and won't be here.

" _7:30 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. everyday sir."_ He said. _"Thank you."_ I said, giving him a friendly wave of the hand and walking out of the door. I checked the time. 5:00 P.M. Four hours to kill.

Someone bumped into me. Followed by consecutive weaker bumps. I turned to see 6 girls staring at me. Looking a little nervous. Like they've never seen a foreigner before. Or it could be what Charlie tells me sometimes. He thinks I can look scary by doing nothing at all. _"Uh… uh… s-sorry!"_ The tall one said bowing. The others followed suit. _"Don't worry about it."_ I said. I hailed an incoming taxi. Opening the door I asked the driver _"Can you get me to Yokosuka base?"_ _"Sure can."_ He said. I smiled, and let the driver take me away. I figured it would be awhile, so I decided to catch some Zs.

About two hours later, I was woken by a soft _"We're here."_ We were sitting at Yokosuka alright. Not in the base proper of course. Just close enough to not rouse suspicion. _"Here you go. Thank you."_ I said paying my fee. Stepping out of the taxi, I made my way to the warehouse. I knew where this place was. Sure enough after some walking, I found it. It was abandoned alright. Looking at the label, it was half gone with a worn Japanese battle sun painted on it with the words ' _Military wa-'_ with the rest being part of the missing piece. I made my way back to the storage facility, wanting to let some extra time pass before I return.

Little Yuki's 9:00 P.M.

I found a good vantage point to change in a nearby alley. Removing my clothes to reveal my ops suit, and grabbing my weapons from the bag, I left said bag safely nestled under a dumpster with the clothes inside it. I took a quick look across the road. No one in sight with the exception of a couple of late-nighters. As in workers.

I looked left and right for traffic. Not a SINGLE car was in sight. This place is out of the way for commuting traffic so that helps explain it. All the easier for me. I ran across the road and climbed the fence. No one was watching me. Making my way to the other side, I crouch-ran over to the shadows of the decorative lighthouse. I spotted more workers. But they had an extra accessory on their arms. Arm bands with the rising sun with 'Reclaim' in Japanese on them. Just like the broadcast.

These guys were definitely Remnants. Now it comes to how long were they here, not the facility, but Japan entirely. Two were talking, and I was close enough to hear.

" _Did you hear what's happening at the nearby outposts?"_

" _No. What's up?"_

" _Apparently they've begun to sneak soldiers from the islands into the country, the outposts are providing shelter."_

" _Great! That's good news for us!"_

" _And even better. There are soldiers on the way here. They're with the shipment coming tonight."_

" _Excellent!"_

Soldiers coming here? Better make this quick. Don't wanna be seen to early. They're both looking in the other direction. I run over to the reception area. Making sure I have no admirers, I sneak the optic cable under the door, and find the same guy from earlier with who I assume was the owner. Both looking at a computer away from me. I slowly opened the door and crept to the staircase.

" _How's the 47 garage?"_

" _It's been checked and locked like always."_

" _Good. We can't afford any mess-ups. Not now."_

" _I understand sir."_

47 garage. Better check that when I leave.

" _In the meantime, how's the parents?"_

" _Doing well. They're still loyal. Hence you being able to use the storage facility."_

" _Of course."_

" _Well (Yawn) I'm gonna…"_

I get out of earshot before he finishes. Making my way upstairs, more offices, meaning more info. I open a door and immediately find a computer. Only found an employee's worries about the Remnants operating here. The next was an email home. The third was more interesting. _'Outpost 39 has reported an increase in American military transmissions to and from Yokosuka and Kadena. Outpost 54 is preparing for broadcast to the home islands. Outpost 88 is standing by for the next assignment, is currently monitoring Tokyo traffic.'_

Outposts. Up to 88 or more. They have to be all over Japan. The sound of footsteps grabbed my attention and I ducked into a dark corner. Thankfully the passerby went past the room. I made my way back down to the reception area and out the door. 47. Making way through the storage are, I found 47. There was a sign on it saying _'Off limits.'_

Nothing's off limits to me.

It was locked up like the man said. I got my lock picks out and began to feel my way through the lock. The satisfying sound of a lock opening reached my ears as I opened the hangar. I closed it back to prevent suspicion. Turning on night vision, I found boxes. The weapon-holding kind of boxes. I figured there were enough for a dozen squads. Hold on. These were probably for the soldiers coming later on. I opened one, seeing as the nails were removed. Inside I found the box was full of them. I grabbed one and gave it a good look. It was futuristic in looks, but that's as far as futuristic went. It was a fair weight, and there was a bigger barrel built in under the supposed main barrel. I had a feeling it was a grenade launcher. This thing looked like it came straight out of a game, bearing a resemblance to a rifle from what I think was… Frontlines Fuel of War I believe. It looked like the rifle the player has access to. I don't know, I only read about it once in a magazine. I never played it though.

I knew nearly every weapon in the world, and I knew for a fact that these weren't made like others were, as in known factories. Did the Remnants possess the capability to make their OWN weapons? It was likely, considering the fact that they had their own planes in the attacks. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hatch in the corner of the garage. It was unlocked. Inside was an underground living quarters. It was big enough for maybe around 40 or 55 people. It was homey looking too, with a TV, kitchen, and entertainment center. All around the walls were propaganda posters. Taking quick pictures of the quarters and the weapon with my OPSAT, I sent them to Paladin. I placed the weapon back in the crate as it was.

That's when I heard trucks approaching. I exited the hanger and closed it, relocking it to avoid suspicion. I made my way to the lighthouse just in time to duck into the shadows. Several trucks entered the facility. All lining up for loading. They opened the rears, and sitting on built in seats were soldiers. Just like the ones from the attacks. They wore body armor and helmets with pure white and tan fatigues. They also wore faceplates, which were were also worn in white, concealing their faces, thin blue visors ran across the eyes. Like extremely thin upside down trapezoids. They assembled in formation, the owner approaching them to speak.

" _Remnants. I want to thank you for coming. Your presence is a blessing. For it signals the coming end of American oversight of our nation. I, among many sympathizers in Japan am offering you refuge in our business locations. If you'd follow me, I will take you to your quarters and your weapons."_ The soldiers followed him to garage 47. I could've easily left a trap or two there, having a couple of good old fashioned wall mines at my disposal. But if I did, I very well could've risked being unable to find the outposts the computer spoke of. As in they would've been informed about the incident and could close up shop. Even though this wasn't the case, I'd have to move fast, who knows what else is going on.

First. I need to have a chat with one of the workers.

The kid at the reception desk was the only one who was separated. He went back to said desk. Luck be a lady he was all alone. Minding the computer. I carefully approached from behind, then grabbed him, holding my karambit close to his throat. "Ssh." I said dragging him to a corner. "You speak English?" I asked him. _"W-what?"_ He answered. I repeat myself in Japanese _. "No no. I do not."_ He said. _"Well I speak Japanese. Tell you what. I'll give you one free lie. After that, I get creative. I know the outposts the Remnants use. Where are they?"_ I ask him. He hesitates, before speaking. _"I know of one, I don't have it committed to memory. But I know it's here! In the Sumida area. Uh… close to the Bokuto Police Department. That's all I know."_ He said, sounding more angry than scared. _"Good night. Sleep tight."_ I say beginning a sleeperhold. _"D-damn you American! D-d-damn…"_ He slips into unconsciousness before he can finish. I didn't tell him I was American, he must've guessed. But he'll never know for sure.

I let him down and leave the facility.

"Paladin, this is Sam, I have an update. Targets have been changed, repeat, targets have been changed." I said. My subdermals working perfectly. "What's going on Sam?" Grim asked anxiously.

"The Remnants have more than storage on the mainland. Sending an E-mail I found on a computer. It should be self-explanatory. Tell everyone to monitor for suspicious transmissions to and from the areas near the Bokuto PD." I ordered. I was in the Sumida area already, so all I had to do was wait. I was already betting for a quick update. Sure enough, it came.

"Sam, Charlie here, we zeroed in on a location being unusually active. Only bits and pieces right now but we have the location. It's a café near the station." "Good work Charlie. You get a gold star." I said. "Hear that Redding?" Sam congratulated me!" Charlie said. "Uh-huh keep talking." I could hear Redding say.

No time to hail a cab. Then again there isn't a cab in sight. I better hoof it. Grabbing my bag, I checked the time. 10:57. Plenty of time.

11:26 P.M.

The café was a homey looking place. But I bet it's a different story inside. There was no one around. I found a pipe on the side of the building and climbed it, reaching an open window on the second floor. Slipping in, I decided to let Spider-Bot loose. Reaching into the pouch on my right hip, I pull out the tiny robot and activate him.

"Wakey-wakey." I said.

It skittered around until we made eye contact. "Spider-Bot. Search the upper floors of this café. I'll secure the lower floor." I said to it. The robot chirped in confirmation and skittered off. Leaving me to do my work. There was no one here so I made way down to the first floor. There were two waiters talking to one another.

" _What are you still doing here? Weren't you supposed to go home tonight?"_

" _Not today. I'm staying late to help with some of the categorizing."_

" _Ah. You mean for the ammo shipments. I hear that."_

" _Yeah. Well. That means no more waiting for me. Time to get back to it."_

One walked away while the other focused his attention elsewhere. I followed the walker and he went to a blank wall section at the end of the hall. He waved his hand in front of said section. A small hole revealed itself and exposed a keypad. 'Hidden passages. Those are so seventies… Damn I'm old.' I thought.

After punching the code, which I saw by using the goggles' zoom function. A slab of wall opened revealing a downwards staircase. He stepped inside and I follow. The slab shuts before I get there, but I repeat his technique and soon descended the staircase. I ready my Five-seveN just in case.

Time to see what's down here.

AN: CLIFFHANGER! I know, I hate those too, but I want to end it here for now. We'll pick up where we left off next chapter. Can you guess the 2 animes that were referenced? In this chapter. Speaking of anime, I own nothing. I don't own the animes, nor do I own Splinter Cell. I am merely a fan.


	10. Chapter 1: Part 5

Last time on Splinter Cell: Remnants Rising.

AN: No just kidding. I know you remember what was going on. Sam was in the secret passageway. Let us continue.

I carefully descended the stairs. Finding three passageways in a bunker-style form. This wasn't the stereotypical World War concrete bunker mind you. It was a modern and better maintained bunker. It was nice and bright down here. Like a nice sunny day. Someone sees me for a second and I'm done. There were three hallways to take. To my left were restrooms. To my front was a corridor with multiple doors, which I figured were beds. To my right was a kitchen. I decided the best course of action would be straight ahead, to avoid running into anyone in the kitchen. I slowly crept past the doors, the unmistakable sounds of snoring emanating from the rooms. I reached the end of the corridor, releasing a breath I didn't realize I was holding. To the left were more doors and halls. To the right, the same kitchen. I went left, obviously, and continued my search for anything I could find.

The sound of voices reached my ears. Voices coming my way.

I had to hide. Would you know it, a supply closet was right there next to me. I must be lucky today, I opened and closed the door as I entered. Looking through my optic cable, I saw three soldiers approach. One however had a different uniform. The standard soldiers had tan camo fatigues His fatigues were camouflaged light brown with hints of red in some areas. He was also wearing a white beret. Was he a ranking officer? I immediately ruled that out. He was too young. Must've been Special Forces. They got close enough to hear clearly and stopped for a minute.

 _Soldier 1: "So, I'm planning to attend the upcoming Idol Competition. What about you guys?"_

 _Soldier 2. "Yeah! I love their music! How about you Raiden?"_

 _Raiden. "Uh… Of course."_

 _Soldier 1. Yeah. But you know something? I still can't believe it. We're in Japan. Our homeland. The land of the Samurai. Where the Shogun once ruled. I always told my mother I'd get here."_

 _Soldier 2. "Yes. Being in the land of our grandfathers. It makes a man think."  
Soldier 1. "Yeah. Still. But you can't help but miss the islands. They were after all, where we grew up."_

 _Soldier 1. "Oh yeah. The open beaches with lush jungles behind you. Here, it's a metropolis. It's a wonderful place, but it isn't where we grew up you know?"_

 _Raiden. "I agree. It was so peaceful. When I was a kid, I would sometimes go out on the beaches and listen to the waves crashing on the sand. Makes you forget that you were destined to go to war. (Sigh.)"_

 _Soldier 1. "That reminds me. Did you hear General Ryuu's speech?"_

 _Soldier 2. "Heck yeah! With him leading us, we're sure to win! He's my idol!"_

 _Raiden. "You and every other soldier."_

 _Soldier 1. "Yeah… Anyway, about that Idol competition."_

 _Soldier 2. "Heck yeah! Those girls are adorable! Wouldn't you agree Raiden?"_

 _Raiden. "Huh?! UH- uh uh. Yeah. Yeah I do."_

 _Soldier 1. "Ugh, you're so easy to tease Raiden, how'd you ever get in the-"_

They were moving away when they began talking the general, now I can't hear them clearly. After they round the corner, I wait a few seconds before opening the door. Then proceed to exit and continue. That taught me two things. 1. The Remnants ARE operating out of Japan. On islands too. But know way to know what islands. 2. They, or at least a part of the Remnants are being led by a General Ryuu. Must be very popular with his soldiers. On my way down the hall, I found a room filled with computers. This is what I was looking for. The room was circle shaped and in the center was one big access terminal. That's my objective.

"Charlie, it's Sam, I've made it to the computer section. Get this, it's under the café." I said, placing Charlie's bug into the terminal. "Under? As in?" Grim asked. "As in underground under. They built a bunker down here. Well maintained and housing a few soldiers." I said.

"Good god. How long have they been in the country?" Briggs asked. "Long enough to build and maintain bunkers. Too long." I answered. "Almost done with the hack Sam." During my wait. I heard voices coming. Luckily this room was darker than the rest of the bunker, so I got into the right corner, on the far side of the room and waited while watching the door. Two technician types walked in and went to my left. Perfect. They were busy looking at mainframes. I noticed a faint scurrying sound and looked down.

Spider-Bot.

Air-ducts no doubt. "Done Sam. I got a list that will make our jobs easier. Spider-Bot found something too." "Not yet Charlie." I whispered. The Bot went up onto my shoulder and I carefully went back to the terminal and retrieved the bug. Then I left the room. The technicians being too busy to look back. I retraced my steps back to the exit.

"Okay Charlie." I said. "The list I mentioned? It's of other outposts. As for Spider-Bot, he found a speech video of a General Ryuu. Said so in the title." Charlie said. "Hang on. Ryuu. I heard some soldiers mention him. From the sound of it he's idolized. My work's complete. I'm leaving." I said. "Sam, there's still much undone." Grim said.

"We need to catch up on the outpost list. Besides, if I make a move now said outposts might move any intel or pack up and move shop." I reasoned. "I agree with Sam. It's too early to do anything more. We need to take our winnings and reorganize. I've already sent the extraction chopper Sam, be ready." Redding said backing me up. "Thanks Redding." I said. I closed the comms and continued my way to the exit.

Shit!

I ducked behind the corner. Two of the soldiers were at the exit, leaning on the wall and talking to one another. No way around them except the kitchen, but it'd be risky considering the darkness doesn't reach a desirable level here until I get to the top floor. Spider-Bot suddenly leapt off my shoulder and ran ahead. I was about to call it back when it went for the right hall, the one leading to the restrooms. I could hear a radio static like sound, similar to my sticky noisemakers. _"What was that?"_ The two soldiers went to investigate. Instead of thinking about the noise, I took the window and carefully scurried past them to the door.

On the stairs and out of sight, I waited for Spider-Bot, only for him to fall in front of me from the ceiling. It was then realization hit me, and I was impressed. He retrieved data and distracted soldiers just like my noisemakers. Spider-Bot returned to my shoulder, and I made my way to the exit. No one in my way. Reaching the roof, I found the chopper waiting for me. I strapped in and enjoyed the ride back to Paladin.

May 15th Paladin. Over Japan. 8:01 A.M.

Eight days until the next strike.

After getting some sleep and charging Spider-Bot, whose evaluation was reported to Charlie, I regrouped with the crew in the SMI room. Bob and Steve, along with the three other spies were with us.

"Okay, let's get to it. Charlie. Tell us what you got." I said. "First, let me show you this." He said, putting a video on the SMI. It was a rather aged man in black samurai armor, modern looking at that, speaking at a podium. That was the same man from the broadcast. He was speaking to what I assumed was a crowd of soldiers in a tone inspiring and praising his men and damning his enemies.

" _Remnants of the Rising Sun. NOW IS OUR TIME!"_ He yelled. Drawing a katana and holding it in the air, the soldiers cheering.

" _Reclaim honor! Reclaim power! Reclaim the Great Japanese Empire! BANZAI!"_

"That's the same man from the broadcast." I said. "My thoughts exactly," Redding said. "we have some facts with the video. His name is Ryuu Osamu, General in the Remnant Army. He's an idol for his men. He's been a soldier for a very long time, from what we found, since Vietnam. That's all it said. Other than the fact that he is a skilled soldier. Saying he still operates on the front lines." "That old man? Impossible." Briggs said. "It's true. We found one piece of evidence to back it up. He PERSONALLY led a search and destroy operation against some Islamic radicals based in Thailand. How they managed to do it undetected, or why, is unknown." Said Charlie.

I took a good long look at Ryuu, the same way I looked at Sadono during the beginning of the Indonesian Crisis, before I went in the field. "Now the outposts. This list contains several outposts all over Tokyo. Bob and Steve here, who were deployed sometime after you Sam followed another lead after you left-" "Why am I learning this now?" I asked, obviously not pleased. "We… didn't want to distract you." Grim said. "NEVER again." I said.

"Well… anyway, they searched the lead, another outpost, and found a list of HVTs and some weapon details." Grim said. "Good work you two." I said. "Thank you sir." They both replied. The view of Tokyo changed to a bird's eye view, 9 red spots scattered over the city showed up. "We've narrowed the locations of the outposts we know of to these areas, they're our next targets." Grim said.

I considered our next move, then said, "I'm gonna need to use that safehouse we mentioned yesterday, this op is too sensitive to keep leaving and returning to Paladin." I said. It made sense during the Blacklist to operate from Paladin, but this is strictly Japan, and even though we needed Paladin, we were gonna attract attention if we kept going up and down by chopper. The safehouse was perfect. In Tokyo, near the bay, and less chance of attention. "I agree. The safehouse is currently unoccupied." Grim said. "Sam. If it's going like this, I'd like to make a recommendation." Redding said. "Go ahead William." I said. "You should bring the other spies with you." "Not me, I need to check some other possible leads up here I'll join you later." Briggs said.

I wasn't against it, but I wasn't enthusiastic either. I was a leader now, but I was still better working on my own. I can strike conversations and talk to people, but it wasn't a social issue. I was aware that more boots on the ground meant less places to hit at a time. The problem was the risks, I work on my own because I don't like the idea of others getting hurt or killed, and it being my fault for not doing it myself. I'm not naïve, but I always felt better going on my own.

Nevertheless, I said, "Okay. That sounds like a good idea. We'll regroup in the armory in a few hours." I said.

11:30 A.M.

"This weapon is custom made by Charlie himself. The SC4000 assault rifle." Kobin was speaking to some new recruits in the other armory, giving them pointers about the weapons and equipment they would be using in the field. There were two armories like Charlie said. Both located next to the loading ramp. The only thing separating them was a fencelike barrier with bare doors in the middle. "Integrally silenced. Shoots straight, hits hard. Perfect for long ranges too. The standard mag holds up to 40 rounds, but you can also use 60 round mags. It fires the standard 5.56 NATO rounds. Single, burst, and auto fire modes. Comes with a list of customization options. Perfect for you guys. Who wants to try it first?" As the recruits flocked Kobin, my team was in the other armory grabbing what we'd need. During the Blacklist, Charlie made custom weapons for me and Briggs to use. For a guy who's nervous to use a weapon, he has a knack for making them, and he's damn good at it.

We labeled them as SC-IS, Splinter Cell-Integrated Silencer. Tyler chose the sniper rifle. It worked wonders on all but the most heavily armored soldiers. It seemed appropriate too, given his good pair of eyes. Brian took an SC400S, a submachine gun. Rick chose a shotgun. Bob and Steve each took an SC4000 assault rifle. For pistols, they each took an SC-IS issue.

"We'll airdrop at the same area I dropped yesterday, just outside of Tokyo at the beach." I said equipping my tri-goggles. Bob and Steve had bi-goggles. Which intrigued me. How come they have two lenses instead of three like the rest of us? It was no big deal though. Tyler's vision was thermal, and had an amberish color to his goggles. Brian had a ghost blue, he had sonar. Last but not least, Rick had a greenish hue, with a hint of yellow, making me the pure green goggled man. He had EMF. "Wait." Tyler said, nervousness in his voice. "Airdrop?" "Yes why?" I asked. "Well sir, you see. It's just-"

"I'M AFRAID OF EXTREME HEIGHTS!" Tyler screamed. Poor guy, like the others, I read his profile. He did some service in the Army as a ranger. The only time he went in the air was usually in a chopper. Thankfully we won't be doing this several times. But he better get SOME tolerance sooner or later. "Ah get with the program Ty!" Rick shouted, unnerved. Brian was as quiet as a mouse. Unlike the others, he had no prior military training, but he did have majors in education, so that would explain it. Bob and Steve were practicing mid-air Kung-Fu poses. They were the comedic duo of this bunch no doubt.

We got close enough for the parachutes and began to slowly descend. Tyler stopped freaking by then. "Remember. The inlet. Follow my lead." I said. Looking back to the front, I found the same parasailer from yesterday. He saw me too. _"How you doing?"_ I asked. He stared at me as I fell, followed by the others. Pretty sure he was thinking he was in the sun for too long. I get the feeling I'll run into him again.

Landing and securing our gear, we went civilian and entered the city. When out of the blue, came a van. "Hello boys." A familiar voice said. "Coen? What's going on?" "You know how I wasn't on the plane when you returned?" She was right. She was nowhere to be found, but I was focused on the intel at the time. "I requested to be dropped by the chopper when you were returning. After hearing about your debacle, I found this in an old agency garage. It's yours now." She said. There was enough room for everyone, but Coen relinquished control to me when she moved to the passenger's side. Everyone else in the back.

"You going to the safehouse too?" Tyler asked. "Fraid not. Gotta get to the harbor, check on a few other old assets." She said. Can't argue there. So we made our way to the docks, dropped Coen off and made our farewells, then moved to the safehouse. About an hour later, we made it. It was a typical modern Japanese home with nothing worth noting. Save being big enough for at least six people or more, and two extra vehicles, simple cars, in the driveway. There was a sticky note on one of the wipers of the first.

It said, 'For agent Fisher in the mission should it be required. – Ambassador Sosho.' 'Thanks a bunch.' I thought.

Opening the door, we walked into a modest home with a flat screen, a pro's kitchen, a second floor, and some entertainment systems… seriously? Games? At least there were books and DVDs. "Nice digs. Fair bit of shine here too ya know?" Tyler said. "As long as the AC's good." Brian said.

"Okay everyone. Settle down and gather up. We need to talk." I say heading for the living room coffee table. I take a map out and place it on the table. Before leaving Paladin, I made a map of the known Remnant outposts we found in the city from the list. When more are found, we will mark them on the map. "We are here, on the border of the Chiyoda and Chugo areas. We have outposts in Minato and Chugo. For now, we'll hit them one at a time, as we find more, we'll hit more. The next hits will be tonight at Outpost 39, they're listening in to our military transmissions. Rick, Brian, Tyler. You're with me. Bob, Steve, you'll hit the warehouse, find out what they have, and pending the importance of the warehouse, destroy it. Got it?" I said. 'Yes sir' filled my ears from each of them. "Good. Right now, it's 3:30. We move at 9:30. Be ready." Finishing the briefing.

I decided to check the house out, but first-

A few dials on the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Sarah. It's me." "DAD! It's good to hear from you!" She said. "You too Sarah. How's home?" I ask. "I watched the news, the president is sending extra soldiers to all the East Asian military bases. See if it will deter the attacks. But if you ask me, it won't." She said. Knowing full well she was right. "Vic doing well?" I ask. "Yeah. He just announced that should the need arise, Paladin 9 is willing to assist in the war effort." Vic always looking to lend a hand. God bless his soul. "Well. I gotta get back to it Sarah." I said. "Okay Dad. Oh hey! Before you go…" She says, but she stops. "Yeah?" I ask. "Well… I don't want to go over the specifics yet. Especially on the phone, but you know how we always talked about my college courses." She asked.

Sometime ago I tried talking her out of the diplomatic work. Not a personal grudge or anything, it's just dangerous. At least to me it is. "Yeah?" I said again, confused. "Well… Let's talk when this is over, you've got enough to worry about. I promise we'll talk after dad." She's right. I better lay off. "Okay. Be good Sarah." I say. "You know it. Bye Dad." "Bye honey." I put the phone down. Checking upstairs, there were enough beds for all of us believe it or not. I put the thoughts of Sarah's issue out of my head for now. I had to be ready. Before sitting on a chair to rest, I poured myself a quick shot of scotch.

"Here's to the next hit."

AN: I figured it'd be wise for Sam and company to operate from a house instead of constantly traveling to and from Paladin, because let's face it, a chopper constantly going to and from a single country and a plane would rouse suspicion. Worry not fans, Paladin still plays a VERY important role of deliveries and data sifting.


	11. Chapter 1: Part 6

May 15th, 11:35 A.M. Mihama residence.

During Sam's second insertion.

Chiyo was up in her room reading her studies. Her parents were downstairs talking about something. She's been feeling better since yesterday. Even though she, like many others still couldn't shake the fear. Her mind wandered to yesterday, when Yukari gave an announcement to the class.

Flashback. May 14th, 8:30 A.M. Yukari's room.

The classroom was silent, save for the occasional cough or sneeze. Some people even spoke to themselves about the incident. The shock still hadn't settled with the classmates. A terror force dedicated to restoring the old Japan. Not to mention the results of their attacks.

The door opened slowly, as opposed to Yukari's usual quick enter. She carefully entered the room while her eyes, filled with worry, scanned the room. She gently placed the papers she held down and looked at her students. Some stared back, others stared at the chalk board behind her.

"Good morning students." She said calmly. "Good morning." Only a handful responded. "I won't pretend to be oblivious. I know what happened. Believe me I can hardly believe it myself. But we can't let that bother us. We need to move forward and have a great year. This is no different than back then, and we can still achieve our goals without fearing the Remnants. I have faith in our military. Don't you?" She said.

The students, being uplifted by her pep talk, began to relax and agree. If anything, it was clear the Remnants would not be attacking Japan, after all, it was their homeland too, as they claimed. "I thought so." She said, turning back to the Yukari everyone knows, but not everyone loves. "So come on. Let's get back to it!" The students cheered. "Does anyone remember what we talked about the day before yesterday?"

Silence returned to the room.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

End flashback.

It was a good day, despite Yukari's tantrum. Chiyo soon found herself done with her homework a few hours later. She decided to give Mr Tadakichi, her pet Great Pyrenees dog, for a walk. Her dog was huge compared to her. In fact she could ride him as if he were a horse, which she sometimes did. "Mother! Father! I finished my homework, I'm taking Mr Tadakichi for a walk!" She said going down the stairs. "Okay, be careful honey." Her mother said. Meanwhile, the Mr and Mrs were busy reading a letter they received in the mail yesterday, which really put them in a rock and a hard place.

'Dear Mr and Mrs Mihama. We are honored to invite you, friends and partners of our new European weapon and medicine research and development firm in Reims, France, to a get-together to discuss plans for our future. Yes we are fully aware of current events in your region, but we are too far in preparation to cancel or reschedule. As much as it pains us, we are afraid you cannot bring your daughter with you, due to our 'superiors' judgement.' We begged, reasoned, and pleaded, but they would not budge. In the next few days, you can expect a subordinate to drive you to the airport to make way to Europe.

-Sincerely, Francis Chirac.

PS- I am very sorry.'

"What are we going to do?" Mrs Mihama asked. Mr Mihama wasnot happy. He didn't want to jeopardize the connections with his European friends, for money was the least of his worries. This new arrangement would help bolster a wish he always wanted to fulfill. To rearm and better tend to the soldiers of the SDF. But at the same time he didn't want to just leave Chiyo at a time like this. "We'll- we'll talk when she returns." He said. "But if you ask me. We need a babysitter."

Suburbs surrounding the Mihama home. 5:30 P.M.

Chiyo repeatedly walked Mr Tadakichi around the blocks in random changing intervals, meeting up with Kagura, Tomo, and Yomi who just so happened to be in the area. "So, what do you think? One piece or bikini?" Tomo asked. "Will you shut up about the swimsuits already?! You already own like five!" Kagura said. "But you gotta have new styles every season to draw the men in." Tomo said. "Not in front of Chiyo!" Yomi said. "But we're not in front of Chiyo." Tomo said chuckling. "SHUT UP!" Kagura and Yomi said slamming their fists on Tomo's head, leaving her dazed. "Please don't be so rough with one another!" Chiyo cried.

"It's the only way she's gonna learn." Yomi retorted. "Yeah. She's completely brain dead sometimes." Kagura said. "That bonk to the head has me thinking. If I can't decide on a swimsuit, maybe we could decide on the culture fest." Tomo said. "Oh you're right." The others replied. They were contemplating what to do for the next fest. First was the funny plush thing. Then the café. What next? "I'm not really experiencing any brainstorming, so I'm honestly thinking of repeating the cute café." Kagura said. "Well the entire school did love it to death." Said Yomi. "Yes. It was very well received, I've been told by several students to do a repeat of it." Chiyo said. She wasn't kidding. A couple days after the culture fest, she would get suggestions, demands, even letters to redo the café. "I still have the penguin suit. We can use that to ensure people come." "And I still have my outfit and hat. Same with you two right?" Kagura asked. Tomo and Yomi nodded. "But keep the cutesy to a minimum, last time there was no time for a break!" Tomo whined. "And you call yourself the hyper one." Yomi said. "Better than being Chunky Pony." Tomo said running away. "DAMMIT TOMO!" Yomi yelled. As the two 'friends' ran, Kagura and Chiyo could only walk while watching, and Mr Tadakichi simply didn't give a shit. Smiling that same smile he always had. "You can't catch me you can't catch me!" Tomo taunted. Yomi went into overdrive and closed in on Tomo. She was a centimeter away from her hand.

'Gotcha now ya little pest.' Yomi thought.

SLAM!

Tomo, then Yomi slammed into someone, or something. "Ow." Yomi said. "Did anybody get the license number of that truck?" Tomo asked dazed. "Uh… guys?" Kagura simply said, a little scared. The girls all looked, discovering Tomo ran into someone, who was now on the ground sitting up and rubbing his bottom.

Green turtlekneck-like shirt.

Brown pants.

Slightly grayed hair.

And a look of annoyance.

It was that same man from last time. The one from Little Yuki's, who wanted to go to Yokosuka.

"Oh crap." Tomo said. "IT WAS HER FAULT!" She said pointing at Yomi and running in the opposite direction. "WHAT?! YOU LITTLE CHICKEN!" Yomi said running after her. Leaving Kagura and Chiyo alone to face the man.

"Let me guess. Friend and enemy relationship between them?" The man asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Kagura asked him. "I've been in a few myself." He said. "Well, I hate to be rude, but I have a few errands to run." "Oh. Yeah. Us too." Kagura said, ignoring the sounds of fighting behind them. "Sorry about that. G-goodbye." She said. "Don't worry about it." He said. "Good luck with whatever you're doing." Chiyo said. He looked at her after she spoke. He froze, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. "Um. Sir?" "Huh? Oh. I'm okay, just remembered something. Goodbye." He said, walking away.

Kagura and Chiyo stood there for a moment, when the sounds of fighting reminded them of the situation with Tomo and Yomi. "Please stop it you two!" Chiyo cried.

5:55 P.M.

Chiyo walked back to her house, entering the gate and walking in the front door, Mr Tadakichi went off to wherever he stayed while Chiyo went upstairs. "Um. Chiyo?" Mr Mihama called. "Coming Father." She answered. Entering the kitchen, she found her parents sitting at the table, with faces of concern and sadness. "Mother, Father, what's wrong?" "Chiyo. We… have a little problem here. Just read this and you'll know what." Her mother said. She took the letter and read it. Her face turning to shock when she finished it. "What's gonna happen?!" Chiyo said. "We decided that we should hire a babysitter. But we aren't sure who to hire. We figured maybe one of your classmates could help. Could you talk to them tomorrow and see if they could help?" Mr Mihama said. "Yes I can. But… what if I can't find someone?" Chiyo asked. "Well… we can only hope." Her mother said. Chiyo, feeling a little nervous, went up to her room to ponder about the events, first the Remnants, and now her parents being forced to attend the business in Europe. She was feeling confident that her friends would help her. But she couldn't help but feel like something wasn't going to go right.

She could only hope right now.

AN: Well it looks like Chiyo has a dilemma on her hands. What's next?! We realize that Sam ran into them again, but why did he freeze up when he saw Chiyo? FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTGER FOO!


	12. Chapter 1: Part 7

AN: Sorry about the wait. College and laziness were affecting me.

I own nothing.

May 15th. Safehouse. 4:30 P.M.

Some time had passed after my briefing. The others were tending to their own business. Tyler was sleeping on the couch, Brian was reading a book, and Rick was making himself something to eat, while Bob and Steve were on an Xbox playing Gears of War. I never showed much care for games. I didn't have anything against them, they just weren't my cup of coffee. I know this much, if the people who played those games ever got a taste of real combat, I'm positive 95% of them would go back to playing Minecraft or whatever they're into. "Wait wait wait how do I crouch how do I crouch?" Bob said. "It's Gears of War! There is no crouch button!" Steve said. "NO CROUCH?! What the heck?!" "EY! SHADDUP!" Tyler yelled trying to sleep. "What's going on in there?" Rick called. "There's no crouch button!" Bob said.

"It's Gears of War not Call of Duty."

"Team Fortress 2's better!" Tyler said. "Screw that, Halo steals the spotlight." Steve said.

This was turning into one of those arguments from a Japanese cartoon.

"Seriously what genius decided to not put a crouch in this game?" "The same genius who put a chainsaw in the game." Tyler said. "You're all idiots." Brian said.

"Ugh. I'm going for a walk." I said over the incessant babbling. "Thank god these guys aren't like this all the time." I said upon exiting the house and making my way to the sidewalk. I'd walk for an hour or so until I decided to head back. The plan was already in place so it was just a matter of a recap. Like I mentioned before, I would lead Tyler, Brian, and Rick to Outpost 39 to disrupt the Remnants' ability to listen in to our military communications. Leaving them with one less way to know what we're planing. While at the same time downloading and stealing any documents and data we could find. Meanwhile, Bob and Steve would go to the warehouse and investigate the contents, and depending on whether or not the contents were important, destroy it. We would regroup at the safehouse and plan our next move after. In the meantime, I was thinking about possible areas the Remnants would be stationed.

Obviously they have inside help, remembering from Little Yuki's, that the owners were sympathizers to the Remnants. The question was how deep does it go? Does it remain on the level of the people walking the streets? Or does it go to those who have positions in power? Either way, the Remnants had help. Speaking of Little Yuki's and its little underground bunker, why were they transporting soldiers here? Yes it was their home country, but it was for the most part against them. The only way that they would make any progress would be to attack their enemy head on. They couldn't be reserving to the attacks alone to achieve their goals. The only engagements I knew of were between them and China, when they sent a force to assault a military harbor. The reports told me that the Remnants quite literally came from the water from some kind of underwater amphibious craft. The same from Cahm Ranh in Vietnam.

The surprises just kept adding up. Hell if this keeps up I wouldn't be surprised if they had an aircraft carrier. Which I'm sure they don't.

Next thing I knew I was knocked to the ground.

Rubbing my behind, and now annoyed, I looked up to see two girls on their behinds too. Wait a minute…

These were the same girls from before, who bumped into me. And with them were two more.

" _Oh crap."_ One said, looking young and a little energetic. _"IT WAS HER FAULT!"_ She screamed, pointing at her friends. She was taller and wore glasses. The short one ran away after she finished. _"WHAT? YOU LITTLE CHICKEN!"_ The taller one said chasing after her friend. I was left with the remaining two, one had a shade of caramel-like skin. Had to be a tanner. And a little girl with pigtails. With a dog. _"Let me guess. Friend and enemy relationship between them?"_ I asked. _"Yeah. How'd you know?"_ The tanned girl asked. _"I've been in a few myself."_ I said. Most of those relationships I had ended up with me killing someone.

" _Well I hate to be rude, but I have a few errands to run"_ I said. _"Oh. Yeah. Us too."_ Tanned girl said, ignoring the sounds of the two girls fighting. _"Sorry about that. G-goodbye."_ She said. _"Don't worry about it."_ I said. _"Good luck with whatever you're doing."_ The little girl said. I looked at her. Something was nagging me as I was, as in she seemed familiar in a way.

I was frozen.

An image of Sarah at that age flashed in my mind, replacing the little girl, then went back. By then her pigtails were moved higher on her head. Just like this little girl. I was thinking I was going crazy. She looked like Sarah at that age. _"Um. Sir?"_ She said, snapping me back to reality. "Huh? _Oh. I'm okay, just remembered something. Goodbye."_ I said, walking away. I checked the time as I did. 5:40. Better get back.

That girl kept appearing in my head. Sarah was the one thing in my life that mattered more than anything to me. She humanized me, gave me a reason to live. Now this girl comes into the picture, momentarily, and gets me thinking about-

'NO! NOW'S NOT THE TIME!'

Successfully pushing the girl out of my head, I made my way back to the safehouse.

Opening the door, I was greeted by the crew playing a different game. "What are you playing now?" I asked. "Battlefield 3." They all said.

9:30 P.M. Suspected location of Outpost 39.

The coordinates of the outpost puts it at this 4 floor apartment complex. Rather small for this area. There were multiple points of entry. Vents, windows, and some out of the way doors.

"Remember the plan. Tyler. You're up, get a look at the building. Back him up Brian." I said. "Got it boss." Tyler said. "Yes sir." Brian said. A few hours ago they were bickering like idiots. But now, they were completely different people. Tyler had that tone in his voice letting you know he was focused on the task at hand. Brian's voice resembled that of a dead quiet assassin. They slipped down a pipe on the side of the building we were standing on and made their way to the street. Both ran across said street and found another pipe.

Tyler went first and climbed to the middle, in between the second and third floor. Activating his suit's ability, he tagged several hostiles in the building. All having no idea of what was going on. "At least sixteen sir. Four on the floor, patrolling. Three on the second and third just hanging. The rest up top are all together in a room."

"I see them, we're heading over." That Intel Suit was helpful, when the emissions, invisible to the naked eye, spread out they tag each individual solder, who are silhouetted in red. Through my goggles, I saw them clear as day. "Let's move Rick." I said. "You got it." He said, he only sounded quieter, his voice being the same otherwise. We repeated Tyler's moves and ended up on the other side of the street. "Okay. We'll each search a floor. Undoubtedly the important stuff is below us, but we can't take anything to chance Brian, you got the top. Rick, the third is yours. I'll get the second. Tyler, first is all you." I said

"Got it." Everyone said. We climbed to our respective floors and began searching. The three on my floor were all together, watching the TV. On it was a trio of singing girls. In the background was 765. 'This again?' I thought. You'd swear this was the morale booster for the Remnants. "Sam, this is Brian. All's quiet up here, I think I found a promising computer. Checking." "Copy that. Rick how are you doing?" I say. "The sentries are just peering out at the moon. Can't blame them, it is pretty this evening. As for the objective, only found emails from home. Nothing important, still looking." Rick replied. "How's it on your end Tyler?" "Actually not that bad. The guards seem to have a set patrol route. Trying to find anything suspicious." I confirmed that and moved forward.

Brian finished his hack. It contained a list of personnel assigned to this outpost, followed by the replacements on the rotation. He passed some offices until he heard voices. It contained the remaining six Remnants. Brian wasn't fluent in Japanese, but he guessed they were talking about something important. Thank god the OPSAT came with a translation feature. Sticking the optic cable under the door, he found all the men wearing uniforms rather than armor. The uniforms were black and decorated. These were high rankers. Right now only two were talking.

" _We have received word that Warehouse 11 is about to receive its final shipment from the sub-warehouse near Yokosuka and will soon be ready to make any deliveries to positions in the mainland. The perimeter is still up."_

" _What of the attack on the American Atsugi air base?"_

" _The assault will be next week."_

" _Excellent. In the meantime, I have received word that the Chinese are beginning a blockade of Japan. On their side at least."_

" _Another blockade, did they not learn from last time?"_

" _Apparently not."_

" _Well this should be all we must know. Does anyone have any other questions?"_

…

" _Very well. This session has ended. Until next time my friends."_

" _Farewell Colonel Goro."_

Brian pulled his optic cable out and moved on. "Sir, I have an update. Found a meeting and recorded it, sending it to your OPSAT."

I read the conversation over. It was obvious the warehouse they were speaking of was not the same warehouse Bob and Steve were infiltrating. Wherever it was, it had to be heavily guarded and out of sight. The only question is where? "Sam. It's Steve." Steve was speaking via subdermals. "Go ahead Steve." I said.

"We've done a full sweep of the warehouse. It's filled with weapons." Steve said, Bob searching the area for any late nighters. So far the place was empty, but that could change in an instant. One rule a Splinter Cell was to follow. Always assume. Always assume that the enemy may come in. Especially when you're smack dab in their turf. "Should we destroy this warehouse Sam?" "No." Sam said via subdermal, "Brian just picked up a conversation about a shipment about to leave for another warehouse. This one being bigger by the sounds of it. I want you to plant tracking devices in the crates. See where they end up. We can find the warehouse that way." The chat ended as Sam went back to his situation. "You get that Bob?" "Yep. Let's tag these things, I'm getting bored." Bob said. "Paladin, this is Steve, I'm setting up trackers in the warehouse stockpile, should help us out in the field

"Sam, it's Tyler, I found the underpass. It was in a supply closet." Tyler said. "… Seriously? A supply closet?" Brian asked. "Got it. Rick, Brian, finish your sweeps and report to the bottom floor." I said. "Roger that. Making my way down, nothing else here." I was unable to find anything on this floor, so I made my way back to the window and slid down the pipe, back to the first. It was easy enough to avoid the patrolling soldiers. They soon stopped patrolling like they were and began to mildly move from room to room at their leisure. After all, who'd try to break into an insignificant apartment complex like this?

Nobody. And that was the idea.

I met up with Tyler down a small hallway. True enough, the entrance was in a supply closet. I came in and closed the door, sticking my optic-cam under it so I could watch for any passerbys. "Just about hacked into this puppy sir" Tyler said, his OPSAT already linked into the keypad. He sent out another echolocation scan. Everyone was in their respective place, only I could see about three extra below us. "Got it." He said. The slab opened and revealed a staircase. "Brian, Rick, Tyler and I are heading below the apartment into the bunker area. You two stay up here and monitor the area." I said. "Understood.

"What do you think is down there sir?" Tyler asked. "Guards, computers, and a lot of sleeping soldiers." I said. This bunker was different in terms of layout. Same looks, different routes. The only way was through a single hallway. Already I could hear snoring. "Quietly" I whispered. Tyler followed my lead, repeating each step I took until we reached the end of the hallway, three routes. Left and right led to another hall, straight led to what I would assume was the main terminal, there were computers everywhere in there. "Let's explore first. I'll go left, you go right. Meet back here when we're done." I said. "Yes sir." My hall went to the right at the end, showing more rooms which in this case were offices, and from my sonar scan, individuals.

I was feeling a little unnerved. This bunker was as bright as the last. Like before, one second and I'll be spotted for sure.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

No time to think, I found the nearest room, unoccupied, and slipped in, shutting the door. My snake cam showed a high ranking individual passing by, he was an old man and had some decorations to his black uniform opposed to the tan I've seen on soldiers. Not the same guy from the broadcast. He passed a couple of guards rounding the corner.

" _Colonel Goro."_ They both said bowing.

" _As you were soldiers."_ He said, entering an office.

A Colonel, this would be something to keep a note on. With the guards out of the way, I moved to the office and used the snake cam to check. The Colonel was talking on a phone.

" _Yes. The soldiers have arrived on schedule, and as for the vehicles, they're being slowly shipped to Warehouse 11…"_ Good thing the comedy duo are putting trackers on said shipment. _"Yes. Yokosuka is on alert. Atsugi too. I imagine they'll stay that way all the way to the next strike. They think that Japan is the next target… Yes. They're comfortable, the soldiers have been getting the proper rest until the day comes… They'll rotate as soon as the order is given… Yes, we all anxiously await the final day. America and her allies have been give PLENTY of time to make some effort… No I am not attending the Idol competition, that's the only thing I hear about other than this war! I swear Ryuu, sometimes I believe you're too joyful for your own good."_ Ryuu. Did he mean- _"Yes. Goodbye General."_

He was talking to General Ryuu. I could interrogate Goro, but I had to get to the mainframe. "Sam it's me, Tyler. I've finished my sweep. Nothing but bathrooms and a kitchen. "Got it, on my way." I said. Making sure there were no guards nearby, I opened the door and made my way back to the mainframe. Tyler was waiting for me inside. "Get your bug ready and find a port." I said. Charlie gave each of us a remote hacking bug that he and his co-hackers can use once we plug them in a device. "It's in." Said Tyler. Mine was too. "Charlie, tell your friends to get busy." I said. "Friends? I got an old man here helping me." He said. Redding obviously. "Uploading the virus… and got it. They are blind." Charlie said. No more listening in for them. "Got it. Sam, we pretty much have the same thing as before with an extra, a list of weapons being shipped to this Warehouse 11, the email was already sent to the local warehouse so there's no stopping it." Redding said. "Then it's a good thing I told the comedy duo to put trackers in them." I said.

"The comedy duo?" Redding asked.

"I thought it fitted them." I retorted.

"Sam. It's Brian. We've got additional Remnants moving in. Looks like a… uh… captain I guess with some more infantry." That meant more were coming down here no doubt. "Let's go Tyler." I said. As we exited the mainframe, Tyler used his echolocation again. We were gonna make it. We briskly crept up the stairs and out of the supply closet. Utilizing a nearby window to escape. I got out first. Tyler followed and we made way to the other side of the street. No hostiles out here. "Rick, Brian, regroup." I said. I waited for the two to get to the alleyway we decided to wait in. "So tonight didn't yield much in the way of info, but we disabled a listening post. Good work everyone, let's get back home." I said.

Bob and Steve were already back at the safehouse waiting for the others to return. They had a weapon from the small warehouse with them. "You sure grabbing that weapon was a good idea Bob?" Steve asked. "Yeah. We don't know much about the Remnants other than a few base facts, so I figured with this being the standard issue, seeing as nearly every Remnant seen was using one, it would be a good idea to try and figure out it workings." Bob said. He had a point. Sam and the trio walked in with plain clothes on. "We're back. Tracking bugs working?" Sam asked. "Like magic. Hey, we brought you a present. Something that might be worth looking at." Bob said. He grabbed the weapon and brought it to the kitchen.

"Is that a Remnant rifle? Why'd you grab this?" Sam asked. "I figured it'd be worth it to see what's what with this rifle." Bob said. "We can get it to Paladin sometime when Coen's around or something." Sam seemed to be thinking about it, then said, "Sounds good. Good work everyone, weapons have been tagged and a listening post has been neutralized. Now let's get some rest. We'll have big day tomorrow."

I made my way to the final bedroom at the end of the hall upstairs. It was a nice little room with a bed for one. I was positive the shipments for this Warehouse 11 were going to be sent tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, we'd focus on more outposts and hope that the trackers do their job. My mind went to the kid from Little Yuki's, if his warning isn't heeded, the disabled outpost would be. But without knowing why and how, we still have an edge. I looked at the picture I recently put on the stool next to the bed. It was a picture of me and Sarah when she was younger. "Good night Sarah." I said, knowing full well it was daytime in the states.

The only thing keeping me from fully sleeping was the image of that little girl who looked like Sarah. Once again I pushed it aside and fell asleep.

May 16th. 8:30 A.M. Island in the Pacific.

Seven days until the next strike

General Ryuu stood upon the beach of the island he was temporarily moved to. The waves crashing on the sand, and on the distant horizon, getting ever so closer, a storm. He recalled the words of Yoshiro Tatsu, a former captain who befriended his father, who took him under his wing when Ryuu was 5. Tatsu did what his father couldn't. He taught Ryuu how to speak formally, how to respect one's elders, and how to wield a sword. He remembered Tatsu saying 'A warrior is like the weather, at times he is a calm, loving man. But when disturbed, as fierce and destructive as a tsunami.' Ryuu proved that countless times on the battlefield.

When he started in the army, he started at the very bottom. Working his way up the ranks rapidly. Not by proving himself better than others or through favoritism, but by fighting, fighting with honor. Even now, being an old man at 70 years old, Ryuu personally led his soldiers in several battles. The Remnant leadership, with the development of better body armor, had a code. **'Victory and honor are secured not from the desk, but from the battlefield.'** This meant that all Remnants were to do their part to secure victory. Now the leadership is not naïve. They know that a leader that constantly fights without utilizing their leadership on a map can fall on the battlefield, especially with today's weapons. But that doesn't stop them from making their contributions.

He clutched the katana tied to his belt, thinking back to his father.

It was his sword.

Ryuu never knew him, thanks to the Allied onslaught. His mother was the only true blood relative he had until her passing. He had a wife and two daughters. Who were married to Remnant captains. And a son who was a Captain. So should he fall, his bloodline would continue. But he would not. He made an oath to his father's spirit that he would live until the end of the war, after America is pushed out of Japan, after Japan has an army to be reckoned with, after honor is restored to the Land of the Rising Sun.

After that he would happily retire from the world.

The sound of a soldier approaching caught his attention. "General." He said. "What is it soldier?"

"We've just received a message from Outpost 39 in Tokyo. Their listening program has been disabled."

Ryuu slightly froze.

So. It looks like America was already on the attack. At least that's what Ryuu believed. If not America then it had to be an ally. Regardless, this called for action.

"Also the Little Yuki's area has reported a break in, someone interrogated the owner's son asking about the outposts." The tension rose. "What of the Yokosuka warehouse?" He asked. "It remains untouched." 'For now.' Ryuu thought. "Send word to other outposts. Be aware of possible attack and infiltration. As for the warehouse, keep it under watch. Warehouse 11 must get those supplies." Ryuu said. "At once sir."

The difference between the Yokosuka warehouse and Warehouse 11 was that Yokosuka was simply a backup storage facility, while Warehouse 11 was one of 40 warehouses spread across Japan as a vital means of storing Remnant weaponry and personnel for if the Remnants' random strikes failed. A backup.

Ryuu knew though, that strikes or no, the Remnants of the Rising Sun would not stop until their mission was complete.

And nothing- NOTHING would change that.

AN: No wonder Sam acted a little strange. But he's Sam Fisher, he can manage this. Right? Ah we'll see. If you have thoughts let me know. A story's readers are just as important as its author.


	13. Chapter 1: Part 8

AN: Quick disclaimer. I own nothing in this fanfic. Except the Remnants of the Rising Sun. But that's it.

Saturday, May 16th. 10:32 A.M. Safehouse

Seven days until next strike.

I woke up on my own. Still thankful for my ability to sleep as I please. Had it ever since I was a child. I opened the door and went downstairs, Tyler was playing a game with Brian while Bob and Steve were playing chess. At the coffee table, Rick had the Remnant rifle disassembled. "Morning." I say.

"Morning." Everyone says.

"Sir, I finally got this thing to open. Look at this." Rick says I observed the pieces. There were only a few pieces compared to other rifles. The stock, the trigger, gas cylinder, the likes. "This thing is lighter than an M-16, I know because I used one in my Marine days. That and its design is simple, very simple. Like an AK-47. I know how to work an AK, I've had plenty of time in the Marines. Look at this." He picked up a barrel. The bigger of the two laying there. "Bob brought a magazine with rounds too. They aren't in any known caliber. But look at this." Grabbing another item, he showed me an object in the unmistakable shape of a launcher type grenade. "This is a grenade. This rifle has a built in grenade launcher." Rick said.

That got my attention. Simple. Light. Unidentified caliber. Built-in GL. The Remnants were well armed. This was just a standard issue. What else do they have? "Guys, it's Grim. Briggs has an update." Grim said over the subdermals. "The trackers from the warehouse. They're on the move. We're tracking multiple beacons going all over Tokyo." Briggs said. "Trace them, if they move to any known outposts no big deal, but if they move to an unidentified location, you let me known, outpost or not." I said. "Got it." "Oh, and Grim, somebody get Coen on the horn, I have something for her. A Remnant rifle." I say. "Are you serious?!" Charlie said like a happy child. "Yeah, you can thank Bob for that. Tell Coen to meet me at the designated location." I say, the rifle would be in better hands up in Paladin rather than here. "Have you had enough time to admire the toy Rick?" I ask the former Marine. "Ha ha. Yeah, just let me fix this thing back up." I'd meet Coen in the park nearby.

Get there. Deliver the package. Get back to the mission. What could go wrong?

1:24 P.M. Chiyo's house.

Chiyo and friends were finishing a discussion about the upcoming culture fest, which wouldn't come for at least another week. "So we've decided on the cute café?" Kagura asked. "Yeah." Yomi answered for everyone. "I say we add real sea slugs!" Ayumu says. Everyone looked at her unamused. "Osaka. Seriously what is it with you and sea slugs?" Tomo asked.

"Everybody likes sea slugs!" Ayumu cried out. "I beg to differ." Yomi whispered, remembering an experience in Okinawa. Ayumu somehow managed to sneak sea slugs into the hotel they were staying in and put them into her room, Yomi will never forget the feeling of lying in bed to suddenly feel wet and slimy creatures on her back. She shuddered at the thought. "Well that's out of the way, what should we do know?" Tomo asked. "How about the idol competition? It's all the rage." Kagura said. "I'm definitely going! How about you Sakaki?" Tomo asked. "Oh… uh… it's still a week or so away." She replied. "That gives us more time to be stoked about it!" Tomo said.

"So long as you aren't a wildcat about it." Kagura said. "Wildcat or no, I'm STILL GOING!" Tomo yelled. "What about you Chiyo-chan? You haven't said a word." Yomi said. Chiyo was looking at the ground with concern on her face. "Chiyo-chan?"

She looked up to Yomi. "Oh. Sorry Yomi-san. I was just thinking." Chiyo said. "About what?" "… I'm in trouble. As in I need help. My parents…" She said before stopping. "Yeah?" "They're going to Europe for a business trip. But I can't go." Chiyo said. "What. In a dangerous time like this?! WHY?!" Kagura shouted. "Father's business partners decided that children would not be admitted." Chiyo said. "Wait, if you can't go, then that means-" Yomi started. "Yeah. I need a babysitter."

"Aw come on Chiyo you're a little know-it-all, do you really need someone to look after you?" Tomo said, receiving stares from Kagura and Yomi. "Well… I'd help but… I promised my parents I'd look after the place while they were off on vacation in Hokkaido." Kagura said. "I… I… my mother has a cold, so I need to take care of her." Sakaki said. "I have swimming practice to attend to." Kagura said. "Sadly, I'm busy with a little pet project." Yomi said. "Why would someone sit on a baby?" Ayumu asked. "Oh okay, I can-" Tomo began when Chiyo shouted, "NO!"

Chiyo moaned as she looked to the floor in worry. "Now what am I going to do?" That's when Yomi got an idea. "I got it, maybe we can still help." "How?" Asked Tomo. "Let's make fliers! We'll stick them around town, and gather possible takers! It's a surefire plan!" Yomi responded. "That's a great idea, why didn't I think of that?" Tomo asked. "Because you're the wildcat idiot." Kagura said. Tomo began fuming until Yomi called for their attention. "Less fighting more working!" She yelled.

(Insert poster making montage here)

"Okay we all set?" Yomi Kagura asked. They all had stacks of fliers and each had a section of town they assigned themselves to. "Hey. I have an idea too." Tomo said suddenly. "What is it?" Kagura asked. "How about a little contest? Whoever hangs up all their posters first gets to boss around the others for a whole day." Tomo said. Sakaki and Chiyo backed out while Kagura, Yomi, and Ayumu stood their ground. "You're on!" Kagura shouted, running off. "OH NO YOU DON'T" Tomo yelled, while everyone else went off to their areas.

2:24 P.M. The Park

I walked throughout the park looking for Coen, other than myself, the park was filled with visitors. Mostly schoolchildren. The cherry blossoms were coming in nicely. Reminded me of those in D.C. Before the EMPs that is. I was getting a lot of looks from people, giving me a feeling of dread, until I saw that it was mostly women staring, and not in the 'that guy is suspicious' kind of way. They were looking at me as if I was straight out of one of those AXE commercials. Tyler gave me a bit of a warning some time when we got back from the outpost. 'If there's one thing most young women here in Japan cannot resist, it's a good looking handsome man. You're a good looking handsome man. I bet five bucks you'll gain at least one stalker.' He said. The stares I'm receiving fit his warning.

Just great.

Thankfully I ran into Coen right there and then. "Coen." I said. "Sam." She replied. "Here's the rifle I told you about." I said. I was surrounded by people, but they didn't know English. Of course I was a little quieter so I don't draw attention. "New toy in the world huh?" She asked. "You have no idea. Get this thing back to Paladin, get our best firearms experts on it. We need to know anything and everything we can. I'll send more when I can." I said.

She took a quick glance into the bag, eyebrows going up in surprise at the sight. "That's quite a toy." She said zipping the bag. "Also, one of the trackers has stopped in the Tokyo Bay area. It may be worth a look." The harbor? That's a big clue. If the Remnants are moving supplies into Tokyo harbor, and we stop it. We'll stop a serious supply route.

"I'll inform the team back at the safehouse. Thanks." I said. "Did you hear the news? The Remnants have attacked naval bases in the Philippines." They hit us in another vital spot. "How bad?" I asked. "Several ships damaged and a seaward exit blocked by a stolen and sunk cargo ship.

Good god. Even with the strike so far away, the Remnants are already fighting us. Small organized strikes no doubt, but still a fight.

"I think I'm going to stay here for a while and think about my next move." I said. Finding the surrounding cherry blossoms somewhat soothing. Coen went ahead and left for wherever she would get back to Paladin. Looking around I noticed a man sitting at a bench. What drew him to my attention was what others would've missed. He was wearing an armband, a smaller thinner one with the same design as I saw at Little Yuki's. I ducked behind a tree as non-suspiciously as possible to take a peek at him.

I got a good look at his face, it was the same man from last night, Colonel Goro. What's he doing out here? He was wearing a business casual suit and tie as opposed to his uniform.

Another man approached him, same armband but younger, looking at least 26 or so. The two met eyes and shook hands. Luckily I had Spider-Bot with me, who eyes I could still see through my OPSAT despite it being able to act independently. "Go spy on em." I said activating the little robot. Scurried away into a patch of flowers next to the bench the men were sitting on.

" _So, we have an instance of hostile action."_ Goro said.

" _Yes colonel, Outpost 39 was, as you already know, disabled and Outpost 20 had a case of break and enter."_

20 must be Little Yuki's.

" _The good news is that the warehouse and its contents are unharmed and already being moved as we speak"_

" _Excellent. What of 54 and 88?"_

" _88 is standing by, as for 54, the broadcast to the home islands is cancelled, the messaging will be done by hand through an undisclosed means."_

Shit.

" _In other news, General Ryuu himself will be arriving here after the next strike."_

What?! That was a good piece of information.

" _Wonderful! His presence will be an inspiration to us! Is that all?"_

" _Yes. That is all. Farewell Colonel Goro."_

" _Farwell my friend."_

The two parted ways and Spider-Bot wasted no time getting back to me. "Paladin, team, it's Sam. I just got wind of some interesting Intel. You're gonna want to see this." I said uploading as soon as the feed cut. The upload was quit and easy.

Spider-Bot went to my pack rather than my shoulder, being in public. "This IS big." Grim said. "No shit." Tyler added. "So they're getting suspicious." "But they're in the dark as to WHO it is, and that's the way I want it." I said. "That and the fact that this General Ryuu is coming. This could be a big chance to snatch him. We get him, we could very well deal a blow to the Remnants." Briggs said. "But we have to wait until after the first attack, hopefully we can stop it first… Briggs." I said. "I'm here Sam." "Prep your gear, I want you down here. Now. We may need the extra hands down here on out." I said.

"On my way." He said.

"Team. Standby, I'll be on my way shortly. I'm gonna stay here for a while longer." I said. The blossoms still drawing me. "Copy." Everyone said. With that being said, I walked through the park for a couple of hours, deciding to sit at a bench. The sound of someone running reached my ears. As soon as I turned, I was knocked to the ground and the sound of papers flying everywhere sounded, but I managed to roll on the ground and come right up, ready for a fight.

But it wasn't someone who was looking for one. It was a brunette with a caramelish shade of skin. Wait. Where have I…? It was one of those girls…

Again.

Kagura POV

This is great! I had already eliminated half of my flier stack. Chiyo-Chan's chances of getting a babysitter have just increased. No way would I fail now. Upon success, I would force Tomo to admit that she was the school's Wildcat Idiot! Oh sweet sweet humility. I can already hear her saying it!

I kept running along the sidewalks sticking fliers wherever I treaded. Heading into one of the local parks to put up more fliers.

WHAM!

It felt like I hit a brick wall, and fell back from the impact onto my bottom. The fliers everywhere, but I focused on my butt, rubbing it in pain. "Oowww. Man. Watch where you're going you-" I was about to yell, but stopped as soon as I saw who it was.

That same mean looking guy.

I immediately scrambled to my feet and began bowing. "Sorry! I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going!" I cried. "Don't worry about it." He said straightening himself, wiping his shirt with his hand. He spoke Japanese like me, but he had a clear American accent. His voice just added to his terrifying appearance, sounding like some actor for action and adventure movies. I stood there unsure as of what to say. He stood there waiting for me to speak. A few minutes passed until I said, "Heh. Funny how we keep meeting. Third time in a row." "Huh. Yeah that's true." He said rubbing the back of his head. "Well… In case we meet again," I said holding my hand out to him.

"Kuwashima Kagura." I said. "Sam Fisher, Sam being my first name." He said. "American right?" "Yeah. Just here on vacation. What're you doing that had you in a hurry?" He asked.

…

"AH CRAP!" I yelled turning my attention to the fliers strewn across the ground. "No! I can't lose!"

Sam's POV

Kagura began to pick up flier after flier from the ground. I decided to give her a hand, taking a look at one of the fliers while I was at it.

' _Babysitter wanted!_

 _Child: Mihama Chiyo_

 _Age:12_

 _If interested please contact the Mihamas.'_

The rest was contact information. Curiosity eating at me, I said, _"If I may, what's this babysitting job about?"_ I asked. _"Oh. That. My friend's parents are heading to Europe for who knows how long, but the CEO or whoever they're seeing at some lab place or something won't allow their daughter to come."_ Kagura said I was appalled. _"In a dangerous time like this?"_ I asked. _"I know that was my reaction!"_ She agreed. _"Anyway, we're putting up these fliers to find a babysitter. Whoever gets all theirs up first gets to play queen over the others for a whole day tomorrow!"_

" _Who is this Chiyo anyway?"_ I ask. _"Like I said, she's my friend. But you've met her already."_ She says. What did she mean? I thought while picking up the fliers. The gears in my mind turned until it hit me.

Sarah's lookalike!

'Oh my god.' I thought to myself. _"Well. Here's the fliers. But…"_ I began. _"Yeah?"_ She said. _"M-may I keep one?"_ I ask.

'That's a bold request Sam. Just look at yourself!' I think.

" _Sure! I can tell them I managed to GIVE someone a flier. Thanks!"_ She said bowing. _"You're welcome."_ I said. She ran off like a happy rabbit after that, and I sat down on the bench.

'DAMMIT SAM! What the hell are you thinking?!' I cursed at myself, realizing what I just done. 'You're not a babysitter! You're a government agent! A soldier! A GODDAMN SPLINTER CELL!' I have better things to do than to volunteer to babysit a little girl! No matter how desperate she is! The Remnants are threatening the balance of world powers, as well as possibly putting the world on the world to World War 3. I had to do everything I could to stop them whatever it takes! We're sniffing for vital outposts and a warehouse, not to mention planning to capture, besides the list of targets we have, the biggest HVT in the war.

General Ryuu.

Then again. This would give me a chance to do something I should've done a long time ago. Take care of a young child, even if it was only for a while or so. I never properly stepped into Sarah's life like a true father because of my job, my CIA days. I loathed that job, not just because of being away, but the bureaucratic atmosphere too. Ironic isn't it? I often wonder why I didn't just quit. Getting back to Chiyo, those pigtails were ALMOST similar to Sarah's at that age, her eyes were brown too, and the same height when Sarah was 12. The only difference was race. I'm not much of a religious person, but if reincarnation did exist, it looks like Buddha decided not to wait for this one. This was my chance to do something I was too estranged and busy to do, despite my love for my deceased wife, Regan.

God I missed her. Even after the divorce because of conflicting jobs, we loved one another to bits.

Why did Chiyo have to look like Sarah?! GODDAMMIT WHY?!

The feeling of an angel and a devil persuading me dawned, only instead of the two different entities. It was more like two different mes. One was focused on the mission at hand, the other was content with the opportunity.

Goddammit.

… I looked to the cherry blossoms. The way they fell seemed to bring peace to my mind. 'Worry later Sam. It's time for a nap.' I thought. My special ability kicks in and I sleep.

…

" _Sir, are you up?"_

A muffled, yet strangely familiar voice grabs my attention. I woke to find two policewomen looking at me. One was the same one from the first insertion, asking me about this 'Strikeman.' The other was a shorter haired brunette. _"Ah. There you are. It's been a while."_ She said, remembering me as well. _"Are you okay sir?"_ She asked. _"Or are you drunk?"_ Asked the brunette. _"Natsumi! Don't say things like that!" "C'mon Miyuki I was just joking!" "No no I'm fine. Just had to take a nap."_ I said.

Looking towards the horizon, or what I could see between the buildings. I saw beautiful shades of purple, red, yellow, and orange.

Sunset… Wait, sunset?

"Uh. What time is it?" I ask. Natsumi looked at her watch "8:01 P.M." "Oh shit." I said. "Is _something wrong sir?"_ Miyuki asked. _"Ugh I promised some friends I'd meet them at 8:00. I'm late. I usually like to be early."_ I DID like to be early. _"If you'd like, we could take you where you need to go."_ Miyuki said.

" _Are you crazy Miyuki?! We're not taxi drivers! We don't even know him!"_ Natsumi cried. _"It's clear that he needs help! And we help people! Besides, the patrols we've had have been nice and clear. That and it's nearly the end of our shift! What's one little Samaritan act gonna do?"_ Miyuki said defending herself.

Natsumi breathed in, then exhaled in defeat. _"Fine, but don't blame me when we get a priority call."_ She said. I thought about the situation, then decided to take advantage of the offer. _"Sure, I'd like a ride. Thank you officers."_

Later.

I directed them to the safehouse area, I wasn't gonna lead them to it proper. Sure they were being friendly now, but in my line of work, you wanted to avoid police officers. I'd get out at a nearby corner and make my way on foot. Speaking of traveling, this car was small. It was Japan but it was still a little strange. I'm no expert, but I believe this was a Honda Today. It was awfully nice of them to offer me a ride home. Officers back home wouldn't think of this, but then again look on TV and you can see why. People are either stupid or dangerous.

" _Did you find Little Yuki's okay sir?"_ Miyuki asked me. _"Yeah. I was able to find it with plenty of time to spare, now it remains to be seen whether or not my friend employs their services."_ I say. Either she's just trying to be friendly, or she's trying to figure out what I'm doing here. But the chances of them knowing what's really going on are a million to one. _"That's good, it can be a real pain finding those places."_ Natsumi said. I looked out the window until I saw a good corner. _"Stop here please. I can make the rest of my way there."_ The car pulled to the side and stopped. _"Thank you officers."_ I say getting out of the car. _"You're welcome sir."_ Miyuki says. _"Wait wait wait! What's your name sir?"_ Natsumi asked. I stop and turn concerned with her voice, I had a feeling she was gonna be a stalker. I knew because as I exited the car, I noticed a few women standing behind a house looking at me. _"Just call me Sam. Just Sam."_ I say. The car pulls off while I make my way to the safehouse.

I opened the door and was greeted by Briggs. "Nice to see you here Briggs. I just decided to hit another outpost." I say. "Just give me the word." He said. "Gear up. Tyler you're coming too. The rest of you, be on standby in case we need you. We're heading for a new outpost." (In case you've forgotten, the team knows about more outposts than the ones mentioned.) "Got it sir." They said, doing the same thing since this morning.

"Let's go Briggs." I say grabbing the backpack.

Honda Today car

"C'mon Miyuki didn't you see him? He was HOT!" Natsumi cried. "And at least 25 years or more older than you." Miyuki said. "The chief is old too. "So?" "What about Shoji?" Natsumi froze. "Oh. Yeah. I can't believe I forgot." She said saddened at how she forgot about her love. "And I thought you were forgetful before." Miyuki said. "At least I HAVE a man! You wouldn't know if a man was after you if he was talking to you!" Natsumi retorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You know EXACTLY what it means!"

The two friends bickered with one another all the way back to the station.

8:45 P.M. Chiyo's house

Chiyo felt great. All the fliers were up, and to make it even better, Kagura said someone asked for a flier! She wouldn't say whom though. Chiyo made her way to bed to prepare for tomorrow. Nothing could ruin this now. The only bad thing going on now was Kagura's victory. Luckily she was not involved. She drifted off to sleep to wait for the next day.

AN: The next chapter will be stealthy and sneaky, with a bit more


End file.
